Super Robot Wars Ѳ
by PubLicEneMyNumBah1
Summary: A new universe, a new beginning, a second chance; will it all be for naught? As quarrels caused by petty differences, irreconcilable ideologies, and desire for power begin to overcome the sentient beings' better nature, are they once more headed for destruction? Will history repeat itself from a time and place that technically no longer exist?
1. Prologue

**Series List:**  
Code Geass (Seasons 1 & 2)  
Akito the Exiled  
Demonbane (2006 Anime and OVA)  
Shinkon Gattai Godannar! (Seasons 1 & 2)  
Voltes V  
Daimos  
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Series and Awakening of the Trailblazer)  
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam  
 **Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Ghost (Manga)**  
Mazinkaiser  
Mazinkaiser vs. the Great General of Darkness  
Tekkaman Blade (Series and II OVA)  
Martian Successor Nadesico (Series and Prince of Darkness)  
New Getter Robo (2004)  
Eureka Seven - Pocketful of Rainbows  
 **Reideen (2007)**  
 **Gatchaman Crowds (Season 1 and Insight)**  
 **Choujin Sentai Jetman: Toki o Kakete (Manga)**  
 **Asura Cryin' (Seasons 1 & 2)  
Sacred Seven**  
Detonator Orgun  
 **Daimajuu Gekitou Hagane no Oni (After Story)  
Voices of a Distant Star  
Macross Zero**  
Super Dimension Fortress Macross (Series and Do You Remember Love?)

 _(Series in bold indicates that it never appeared in an official SRW yet at the time of posting.)_

 _This fanfic can also be read at Archive of Our Own._

 **Prologue**

The macrocosm once perished. Gathering the broken components formerly comprising it, the universe rearranged itself with no regard for accuracy to its former order but attempted to make sense nonetheless.

In some of this new universe's many planets, life forms evolved and built civilizations. Anthropomorphous creatures sprang on different planets and among them are the humans from Earth. They began developing their own technology and even mysticism. Unbeknown to many, they have achieved some of these through entities that are not of their world. Visitors from more advanced planets and other dimensions have come to the young world for different purposes; to protect, to uplift, to invade, to enslave. As mankind grew to power, the aliens disappeared and were forgotten slowly, their legacy leaving some fragments on human psyche as deities and demons.

The humans picked up where their precursors left them and continued their advancement. In several millennia, they have accomplished space travel and thus began the Unlimited Era, a moniker for an age of mankind's fulfilled hopes and dreams but forebodes of the rupture to come.

In the year 139 U.E., a group of scientists called UniMIND (Unified Minds for Intelligent Navigational Development) claimed to have developed FTL travel which was considered preposterous at that time. They were led by the ambitious and charismatic Aeliz Crane, an alumna of Miskatonic University and was once an apprentice to Aeolia Schenberg, another visionary. Like other students of the university, she is also secretly well-versed in sorcery despite her profession. Though pressured by the scientific community and world governments to discontinue, UniMIND launched its spaceship, the Astrabylion, a stylized name representing their dream to explore the billions of stars in the galaxy. Mysteriously, the ship vanished from the radars almost as soon as it left the Solar System. Most experts have been skeptical and reasoned that there's no way it could have worked. However, this didn't faze the crew of the starship Cygnulight who were sent only about a decade later to investigate the mysterious supergravitational waves in the Cygnus system. Like the Astrabylion, the Cygnulight mission is presumed a failure. These incidents remained unsolved for several centuries.

In 197 U.E., the Earth Federation government is established and mankind has begun space colonization. For a while, the Earth, Lagrangian colonies (called Sides), lunar bases, and Martian settlements were relatively at peace. Their seemingly stable coexistence was disturbed when some space colonies attempted to secede from the Earth Federation because of disagreements in governance. While some silently left their current colonies to establish new ones, going far enough from the Federation's influence, the people of Side 3 believed that force is the only way to attain true autonomy. The faction formed became known as the Principality of Zeon and its war against the Federation soon broke out.

In 276 U.E., Zeon surprised everyone when it deployed humanoid machines called mobile suits and began turning the war into their favor. Not wanting to be outdone, the Federation responded with "Project V" to develop their own. Basing on an incomplete blueprint acquired from an unknown source, a fact carefully hidden from the general public, and knowledge of Minovsky particles, they built the prototype "Gundam" and soon made mass production models and variants. Arms race ensued and the battles usually favored the side with the more advanced weapons.

Zeon and its different incarnations were defeated over a span of several decades but just in the One Year War, one third of the total human population was lost and other organizations opposing the Federation also formed. Corruption within it also became rampant and its politicians were making _questionable decisions_. It eventually collapsed and made way for the new power blocs. The formerly dethroned Britannian royalties especially took advantage of the resulting confusion and began reclaiming political power. With their supporters, the Britannian Union was formed, an alleged compromise between the old empire and civilian populace. The Union is a constitutional monarchy with members of the royal family seated in the higher offices and Britannian commoners in the lower ones. They reclaimed their old territories and expanded to those that weren't theirs; adapting a number system to designate areas they conquered. They justified this by citing how those nations' governments were unable to provide for their people, that the Earth Federation didn't break even and therefore, creating imbalance among nations. The other two superpowers, the Reformist East Asian League, a federal monarchy, and the democratic Advanced Europia United, emerged as a response to the threat of Britannian imperialism.

Several nations remained unaligned to any of the three major world powers for a while but the fuel shortage made them reconsider. It was the only way for them to gain access to the orbital rings and elevators providing solar energy the superpowers recently completed. While the Big Three is influential on Earth, they're far from the old federation's extent of control over the space colonies. As they became largely self-sufficient over the years, most of these colonies found no reason to rely on the power blocs. However, conflicts among the colonies and Earth nations didn't cease and much more, an age of space piracy arose.

In 305 U.E., just as the three superpowers were strengthening their hold, extraterrestrial creatures dubbed "Images" appeared and infested Earth towns and cities. Not long after this first contact, another alien race was encountered in the Tharsis region of Mars, where some ruins were also found. In 341 U.E., a massive extraterrestrial spaceship crash landed on an island south of Japan. Inspection of the wreckage revealed it to be a war vessel manned by gigantic beings. While the Images and Tharsians are as hostile as wild beasts, Alien Starship-1, as the ship was called, was a sign of an intelligent life capable of a systematic invasion. Realizing this, the power blocs decided to form a new instance of the United Nations in spite of their enmity to prepare for the potential threats. Only two years later, Britannian Union invaded the then-neutral Japan and renamed it as Area 11. A reason cited for this is the Union's intent to monopolize the island containing ASS-1, which they renamed as South Atalia, in spite of the island itself being in condominium with the rest of the UN. The ruins and ASS-1 proved valuable and in a few years, humans have reverse engineered these overtechnology, among which is the warp engine which they used to chase the Tharsians. The United Nations formed separate forces to deal with these threats; though the Images are still around, news that the Tharsians have been defeated in a battle in Sirius System eight years from the current time has just reached Earth.

In 345 U.E., Mimetic beasts appeared out of nowhere and the Dimensional War Party Vyram, the first sentient alien invaders the modern mankind has encountered, announced their intentions. The Dannar base, which has several counterparts in different nations and in space, and Sky Force with their Jetmen dealt with these respective threats, culminating in the War of the Titans which these specialized forces won. Also during this time, Zanscare Empire revealed itself and declared war against the divided Earth governments, prompting the advent of the League Militaire.

In 349 U.E., unmanned drones swept through Mars like a horde of locusts, nearly wiping out its inhabitants and severing its contact from Earth. These were said to be sent by another alien race stationed in Jupiter, later becoming known as the Jovian Lizards. Though proofs of their existence are scarce and only officially provided by the various Earth governments, the mostly unknown enemy caused even greater unrest as their dimensional transporters called Chulips also spread to the Earth and its moon. Six months later, a race of winged humanoid aliens called Balmians sought to negotiate and meet with prominent world leaders and scientists on the moon. They claimed that their planet was ravaged by the horned Boazanians, thus needing a new place to call home. Tension was already building up among the understandably xenophobic humans but things took a turn for the worse when Leon, the Emperor of the Balmians, was apparently poisoned. There was much confusion and when a Balmian shot Prof. Isamu Ryuuzaki dead, a fight ensued between the parties. With the negotiation's failure, the two suffering races made new enemies out of each other.

In the meantime, threats like the Oni, Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beasts, and the Black Lodge have also revealed themselves. These are the known enemies so far. Several more are relatively unknown to the public due to being intentionally kept secret or with the fights occurring at a smaller scale. In due time, these too will be known as they disturb the foundations of human civilization.

The year is 350 U.E., and the paths toward this new universe's trial are about to converge.

 **Author's Note:**

This fanfic was initially in Archive of Our Own and started out with a more ambitious prospect of having two stories, one that starts in Earth and one that starts in another galaxy, intended to converge later. If you want to visit the original post in the AO3, please go ahead since it has images of my OG mechs and characters for this fic. Along with deciding to cut down the content to something with a lesser scope, I also decided to post this here. I'll work on this while writing my other, newer SRW fanfic which takes priority since more years of insight helped me come up with something I felt is more cohesive.


	2. Ch1 - For Battle the Wedding Bells Dance

**Summary:**

It's the day of Goh and Anna's wedding but when mimetic beasts strike again, the ceremony is interrupted and Goh leaves to pilot the Dannar once more, leaving Anna with his friends and family. But Anna would not just (close her eyes and think of Britannia) let her husband do all the fighting so she decides to join in on the action, too.

* * *

"Tan-tan-tadan, tan-tan-tadan, tan-tan-tadadan-dadadadadanan~," Hajime hummed to herself as she looked out the car's window. "Here comes the bride; here comes the bride, tan-tan-tadadan-dadadadadanan~." She leaned her head towards the seaside's direction and with her smartphone, took a selfie.

"Don't stick your head out like that!" The man driving beside her worriedly reminded. "I just can't catch up with this girl's energy." _Why did she even have to go with us?_ He thought.

"Sorry~," she complied, re-occupying her seat as she uploaded the image in her GALAX account with the status, "Off to my friend's secret wedding :." As soon as she's done, she posed again but towards the driver and then another shot for the two at the backseat. She uploaded the new photos and updated the status, "with Aiba Academy's student council president, chairman, and her boyfriend. Makoto-senpai, ruri & arma … V~!"

"Please don't move around too much, Hajime," Makoto reminded with a slightly softer tone of voice. "Have some respect for the school chairman, too."

"That's okay, Makoto," Ruri Aiba said with a smile. "I'm just as excited as Hajime. This will be the first time I'll be a guest in a wedding."

"Really, Ruri?" Hajime inquired with eyes blinking in surprise. "I thought that for someone so rich you'd be in a lot and all kinds of parties."

"Unfortunately, I've been too busy with…" She was about to say "hunting Darkstones" but she held back before letting it slip, "managing the foundation. I could let someone else take care of the official stuff but I don't want to. My mom and dad fought tooth and nail to maintain it even at the midst of Britannian rule." She paused as if reminded of something, "Come to think of it, the only celebrations I've been to have been business-related." Ruri slumped a little when such thought sunk in. Since five years ago, buying the school, formerly known as Gakazono, is the only decision that seems to be in favor of her youth and happiness. Though it is just a front, it is a convenient cover beyond its tactical purposes.

"That's no good, Ruri," Hajime said playfully. She followed it with an English proverb, " _All work and no play made Jack a shining boy._ Wait, is that correct?"

"Not _shining_ , the correct word is _dull_." Makoto corrected. "How would Jack even _shine_?"

"Dunno. Maybe his hair fell out because of stress and his head shines because he became bald?" The odd girl explained without hint of jesting in her tone. The implications disturbed Makoto who decided to forbid himself from attempting to follow her logic. "Baldness won't look good on you, Ruri."

"Stop it, Hajime," pretending to be annoyed, Ruri puffed her cheeks and burst out laughing like a noblewoman. She noticed that Arma Tandoji has been as silent as Onigawara, who was forbidden from speaking or materializing floating stones because of Hajime's presence, all this time. Attempting to strike a conversation, she picked up from the earlier subject, "Hey, Tandoji, do you like weddings?"

"W-what?" Caught by the question off-guard, he pretended that he wasn't listening. "D-didn't hear you. What was it again?"

"D-do you like weddings?" Ruri asked a second time, seemingly flustered. "B-but it's okay if you don't…"

"N-no! It's not that I don't like weddings. I just don't think about things like that so I don't have an opinion." Feeling embarrassed, he looked away from Ruri and towards the window beside him. _Why did I even have to go with them?_

"Oh, I see." Before Ruri could speak more, Hajime interrupted. Kneeling on her seat, Hajime buried her elbows in the headrest and showed her smartphone. "I just added you as a friend, Miss Ruri. Go check my latest status!"

Curious, Ruri took out her smartphone. After it recognized her fingerprint to unlock, she opened the GALAX app. To her surprise, several GALAX avatars were gathered around hers. The floating speech bubbles flooding the screen clued her in. She wasn't able to read most of it but skimming through, she got the gist of the situation.

* * *

"Tandoji and the chairman are an item?"

"Why a secret wedding? Don't have to be shy about it :P"

"Long live the newlyweds!"

"Will the school be on holidays during your honeymoon? #NoClassesJustMarried"

* * *

"They got it all wrong! T-that's..." Ruri blushed then her face turned pale. Drawing short of breath, she fainted and fell on an unprepared Arma as Hajime snaps another shot.

* * *

 _ **Cosmo Base, Earth Orbit**_

"Emergency call! Emergency call!"

"Mimetic beast detected in the Pacific, designating it as Type 12." A young (outwardly preadolescent) female bridge operator informed.

"What is its course?" A middle-aged man inquired. _So they weren't gone for good after all. We stopped the clock too soon._ He thought.

"It's heading for Area 11."

* * *

 _ **Dannar Base, Kantou Region, Area 11**_

"Mimetic beast has already entered Area 11's area of responsibility." Konami reported as she focuses on her holographic monitor.

"Send out Fujimura and Kouji." Kagemaru, the commander, ordered.

"Roger!" Another girl, Momoko, replied. She then broadcasted the orders, "Fujimura, Kouji, please proceed to Deck 3. I repeat, please proceed to Deck 3. Prepare to sortie."

"Sir, there's an incoming call request." Konami relayed to the commander.

"Who is it from?"

"It's General Asprius, sir." Konami replied with lesser enthusiasm. Commander Kagemaru clenched his teeth and grunted silently, indicating a similar sentiment.

"Put him on one of the large monitors."

The monitor directly in front flashed on and displayed a bald man with a monocle. "What can we do for you, gene…?" Before he can finish, the general shot down Kagemaru's attempt at a respectful conversation.

"If you're thinking about launching an attack on the Mimetic Beast, I'd advise you to not bother anymore. Britannian Knightmare Frames and mobile suits are far superior compared to your impractical, showy robots. Now that we have all your data on how to fight these things, your _assistance_ is no longer required. The proposal to decommission your base is being processed as we speak. However, I'm not stopping you Elevens if you wish to be outdone in our little test run." The rude general immediately disconnected, leaving a short pause among the three persons in the command room and the people in the hangar.

"Ignore him." Commander Kagemaru directed, unfazed by Astrius's words. "Initiate launch sequence."

"Gate Open. Gate Open."

"G-Gunner is docked at Deck 3."

"Jet Boy has cleared the hangar."

"Open the launch hatch."

"Roger."

"Catapult, check. All clear."

"Beginning to slide exit door."

"Saruwatari isn't on the sub list." Tetsuya Kouji noted as he pressed some buttons in his G-Gunner's cockpit.

"That's okay. It's not like we need him to sub for us today." Shizuru Fujimura replied as she configured her own mecha, the Core Gunner, which is inside Tetsuya's. "Besides, the Britannians said they got this." She sarcastically added without changing her serious tone.

"This can't be happening!" Angrily, his grasp on the control sticks tightened. "After fighting for their sake, they're just throwing us out like that? Damn Britannians!"

"Runway clear."

"Ready for take-off!"

"G-Gunner, move out!"

* * *

 ** _In the coastal waters near Dannar base…_**

"Please excuse me, sir, but are we really suited for this battle, First Lieutenant?" A mobile suit pilot asked an officer over their communications channel as he flew over the sea littered with derelict buildings, "Not that I doubt our Flags, sir, but we're literally fighting against monsters."

"Just stand your ground firmly, soldier," The officer encouraged. "Everything will be fine." Despite that, he also had his doubts about the situation, knowing that the decision to deploy mobile suits and Knightmare Frames was dictated by propaganda instead of tactics. With the Elevens' autonomous forces and their robots gaining popularity, the Union refuses to be outdone, fearing that they will inspire more rebellions. With just four Flags and twelve Sutherlands for this mission, they could only do so much.

"Roger that."

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile in a cemetery…**_

A bespectacled man walks alone, his white wedding tuxedo and red bouquet of roses complementing the cemetery's melancholic aura. He stopped, then knelt as he reached a solitary grave marked "Mira Ackerman 322-345". As it is in a cape by the sea, it is a quiet place only disturbed by the squawking of seagulls and swooshing of the wind.

"Have you forgiven me?" Gently, he spoke to her lost love. He already accepted her death but he felt that there are still a few lingering regrets here and there. _This is no good. I should only be thinking about my marriage to Anna right now._ He was too deep in thought that he didn't immediately notice another person approaching. That other person was already standing beside him by the time he did.

"It's been a long time, Goh. Did you find what you were looking for?" The other person greeted. Goh looked up upon hearing the familiar voice. It's Ryu Tendo, a Jetman and his comrade in the battles five years ago. Ryu knelt, too, and offered a few words of prayers. After praying, he stood up and reached out an arm to Goh and with a firm grip, he pulled him up in a flexing manner. "I had a hunch that you'd come here." Ryu said as they both stood up.

"They never found her body," The towering man spoke gloomily. "Max's too." He added.

"I think five years is more than long enough to make atonement." Ryu assured him. "It's time to face what's ahead of you. Our friends who fell in those battles fought bravely for us to have a future."

"Atonement, huh?" He looked back at Mira's grave and whispered words of farewell to her in his mind. _I feel like I've finally found the piece of my heart that I've been searching for since that day. I can finally say it. Thank you, I'll never forget you._

Ryu smiled approvingly, lightly tapped his shoulder, and reminded, "Don't keep them waiting for the groom. Let's go!" Goh faced away from Mira's grave and nodded with a newfound determination. Goh walked away while Ryu followed. The latter put his arms over his friend's shoulders. "Hang in there, buddy. I've been there before."

* * *

 ** _In the church's dressing room..._**

"The stomach's starting to show. Is that all right?" A voluptuous woman asked in between puffs of her cigarette.

"I'm really surprised about the pregnancy." The bride, a teenage girl, replied. "Actually, I'm surprised Pinpin is a girl." She's been stroking the cat, an orange meatball with stripes, in its belly's side.

"Well, I'm more surprised it took five years for you to notice."

"It's okay. It just means our family will be even bigger now. The more the merrier!"

"Excuse me, ma'am, my brother's here…" Seeing the bride in the beautiful white gown stopped the young man in his tracks. Entranced, he slowly approached her, held her hands, and said, "Anna… will you marry me?"

"That's funny." The bride replied.

"Anna~!" Hajime forced herself into the room and rushed in to hug her friend.

The woman interceded then told them, "Hey, both of you, wait outside."

* * *

"G-Gunner, you are now entering firing range."

"Okay! I'm gonna give 'em a good one!" Tetsuya affirmed eagerly.

"Jet Boy, gear down." The flight pack carrying them detached immediately as soon as Shizuru spoke.

"All right!" Tetsuya yelled again. "Hey, aren't those supposed to be our Britannian backups? By the looks of it, they got trampled by the bug they're supposed to exterminate."

An image of a helmeted pilot appeared on his screen and spoke, "Can you hear me? I'm First Lieutenant Graham Aker. We need help extracting our surviving pilots from the battlefield but the VTOLs need a few minutes to get all of them. Can you help me stall the mimetic beast?"

"What? No! You just told us to stay out of the way a while ago!" Tetsuya hastily complained, rising from his seat as he shouted into the screen. "Where's all that Britannian superiority now, huh?"

"I understand your sentiments but there are lives in trouble here." 1st Lt. Aker insisted. "You're heroes; you can't just let them die, can you?"

"Guilt-tripping us into doing what you want… damn it!" The G-Gunner pilot looked down and quietly assessed the situation then looked back up. "Shizuru, Commander, did you hear that? What's the plan?"

"We should help them for now." The command room approved.

"At this moment, we have to do as they ask of us." Shizuru agreed.

"Thank you very much. I'll put in a good word for you in my report." Suddenly, a Flag in its mobile suit mode flew from among the debris. "I can still fight. I'll provide air support."

"We're counting on you." Shizuru responded as her hot-blooded partner quieted down. "We'll fire an opening shot to stun him for a while. First Lieutenant, please keep it busy while we scoop up the survivors."

"Roger."

"Type 12 on sight. Strong Buster, set up!"

"Okay! Strong Buster, set up!" Or so she thought. Tetsuya is back to his normal pep by time for combat.

* * *

 _Cling-clang-cling-clang-cling._

The mellow wedding bells chimed as the ceremony began in a small church not far from the base.

"We are gathered here today to join Goh Saruwatari and Anna Aoi in holy matrimony." The priest began.

In the front rows are the couple's kin, Goh's brother Shinobu and Anna's mother Kiriko with the bride's pet cat, Pinpin, curled up in the former's lap. The guests are few and at first glance, ordinary but those gathered that day are heroes.

Among them are Ryu Tendo and the other Jetmen with their commander, Aya Odagiri. Ryu and his wife, Kaori, took turns babysitting their child named after their commander while the two other Jetmen, Raita and Ako, made faces to amuse her. As they became more rowdy, the commander irately reminded them of the occurring ceremony; babysitting the babysitters indeed.

Ruri and her friends behaved better, except for Hajime who can't stay still. Since the wedding is a secret, they made her promise not to take any picture. Unfortunately, she diverted her displaced energy on explaining the rite to Ruri. "Hey, Ruri! Look, look! The final marriage vows! Look at them k-," The young mistress knew where it was going so she took the matter to her own hands… that is, by covering Hajime up.

"Do you, Anna Aoi, take Goh Saruwatari to be your husband and swear your unwavering love to him, until death do you part?"

"Yes, I do."

"And do you, Goh Saruwatari, take Anna Aoi to be your wife and swear your unwavering love to her, until death do you part?"

"Yes, I d-aaugh!" Before he can finish, Goh suddenly panicked and ran off to the side, leaving his bride and the guests confused. "Excuse me." A phone's vibration was heard afterwards and to the guests' surprise, Kiriko Aoi took it out from her… _chest_ compartment.

"The hell?!" Onigawara interjected as he materialized an exclamation point. Ruri quickly covered the startled talking brick's mouth, leaving Hajime's, while Arma grabbed the floating punctuation mark.

"Shizuru. Sorry, but get back to me later. I'm in the middle of something important right now…" Goh received the call through his glasses, actually an optical head-mounted display, and the other end of the line appeared in his view.

"Get over here quick! We have a situation!"

"I'm in a situation right now, too." Goh said softly.

Goh was about to disconnect when Shizuru switched the display to a stream of their current battle. "Once you see this, you'll fly over here whether you want to or not." The live footage zoomed into the view of the mimetic beast's torso, revealing a blue mechanical figure embedded into it. "You can barely recognize what it is."

"Club Mariner!" The image took him aback. How could he not recognize; it was Max's robot, supposedly destroyed in the battle five years ago. _But why?_ At that moment, his heart set on their wedding was overridden by a desire to find closure. A part of his friend is out there, rampaging, trying to hurt people, and it's up to him to stop it. "Sorry!" He ran down the aisle toward the door.

"What about the wedding?" Anna ran after then latched onto him, a surreal scene with the scrawny bride holding back the groom almost twice her size. "You're not done saying, 'Yes, I DO!'"

Her mother followed them, "Please understand. It's an old friend of his." It was the distraction he needed to run to the bridal car and start up the engine. Kiriko soon ran after and got in the car, too.

"Mom? Not you, too."

"You better be ready for anything. You'll spend a life with a robot pilot and your mother is his boss."

"I'll be right back! Wait for me!" Goh shouted as they rode off, tied cans clanking along the ground.

* * *

Graham Aker diligently pestered the beast while the G-Gunner assisted the rescuers and survivors. He flew a little lower than the determined safe altitude to provoke it to chase after him, occasionally firing the linear rifle to catch its attention. On the other hand, the pair of Elevens' cordiality wasn't exactly appreciated. As they offered to raise them into the VTOLs through their robot's hand, several pilots violently refused. They didn't bother to insist; at least, no one could say they never tried.

"All surviving pilots have been evacuated." Aker relayed to the Gunner team after the last VTOL lifted off.

"Great! Now I don't need to hold back." Uninhibited no longer, the G-Gunner joined the Flag which was saturating the monster with air-to-surface missiles at that moment.

"Thank you." The officer politely expressed his gratitude through the channel. "There's nothing much I can do now. I'm almost out of ammo and our close-ranged weapons didn't do much a while ago. I'll escort the VTOLs back to base and officially call retreat. Can you handle it by yourself?"

"You bet I do!" Tetsuya replied confidently. "Better scram now before it gets you!"

Graham smirked and posed his Flag's arm to resemble a salute and flew away.

"Kouji, Fujimura! Stay alert! We're detecting a large group approaching from two o'clock!" Momoko reported.

"What?" Shizuru answered while Tetsuya focused on firing the Strong Buster. "More mimetic beasts?"

"We don't think so. They're smaller. Please assume that these are hostiles for now."

"I'm using the Gatling arm, Shizuru. It's getting way too close for the Strong Buster!" Tetsuya interrupted. "It's using the Club Mariner's shield. Do something about it!"

"Roger! Jet Boy, go!" The unmanned aircraft descended and emitted a disruptive shock wave that shut down its shield. It was too late though; the mimetic beast has lunged to the G-Gunner, pinning it down.

* * *

"G-Gunner is unable to fight!" Momoko reported.

"I'm unable to contact the pilot." Konami added.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! I'm heading out!" Goh ran towards the hangar as he fumbled his arms into his pilot suit.

"Saruwatari? A-are you sure? Why are you in tuxedo? I mean, Roger!" Momoko granted him permission to launch.

"What's the situation?" Dr. Aoi rushed into the control room.

Kagemaru replied, "They were drawn into close combat where they're at disadvantage. We've lost communication."

"Okay. Get Godannar ready to move out."

"Don't die! Kouji, Shizuru! Wait for me, Club Mariner!"

* * *

"1st Lt. Aker! What's the meaning of this?" General Bartley Asprius fumingly demanded an explanation. "You've been briefed thoroughly! How did this mission fail?"

"With all due respect, 'shackling the mimetic beast with slash harkens and bombarding it from four directions' isn't as easy it sounds, General." Aker replied dryly.

"Not only you failed, you even sought help from Elevens! You're an embarrassment to Britannia!"

Having had enough, Aker adjusted the communicator's frequency and intentionally garbled the conversation. "You'r— bre—ing up, ge—n—al. I'll con—nue wi— my rep—t later." Not having flown too far, he zoomed in his monitor's view and took one more look at the battle. He saw the mimetic beast subdue the robot. A feminine robot leapt out of the dismantled gunner but the pilot in the torn cockpit looked like he's been badly injured. "All personnel go ahead without me. I have one more rescue to perform."

* * *

"Shizuru, the Core Gunner's armor won't withstand #12's attack!" Konami warned.

"I'll hold on..." Shizuru replied as she fired a missile despite their dangerously closed distance but it was blocked by the beast's restored shield and she too was forced into a corner by the feedback. "Until Goh gets here!" The beast leaped, dropping towards her, until a newcomer kicked it out of the way. It was the Godannar.

* * *

The guests looked on from the cape as the battle rages. While Shinobu, Hajime, and the officiating priest comfort Anna, the others talked among their own groups on dealing with the attack.

"Mistress, shall we deploy, too?" Kagami asked.

"No, not yet, but have the Engagement Suit be delivered just in case." She then called Arma's attention. "Arma, please get ready, too. We'll assist if the situation calls for it."

"Huh? Ah, yes."

"If only we can fight back like before," Ryu stated as he witnesses a familiar scene but as a bystander instead of a combatant. His fists tightened as he's reminded that the Sky Force and the Jetmen have been shut down; powerful robots in their old base just left to rot even though they are a crucial part of defense against alien enemies.

"Even with the Vyram gone, the Earth feels barely a little more peaceful," Kaori mused. She averted her baby's eyes from the battle, keeping her closer to her bosom. "I fear for my Aya and the other children that will be raised in this age."

"I'll be a parent soon, too. I understand how you feel," Raita agreed as he thought about his pregnant wife back home.

"Was giving in to the Britannians' demands really the right thing to do?" Ako pondered aloud. "It's never been the same since we lost our Birdonic Wave enhancements."

"We're all still fighting," Commander Aya corrected. "Even outside the battlefield, the things we do mean something to this world."

"Goh-chin..." Anna sighed as she worriedly watched her groom's robot clash with the mimetic beast.

"Wow, you have a really amazing groom right there," Awestruck by the battle, eyes almost aglow, Hajime tried to encourage her friend. "I usually don't trust older men who go after young girls but I can see why you fell for him."

"Hey, don't talk about my brother like that!" Though Shinobu reacted, he didn't really take offense. Anna laughed a little at her friend's frankness.

* * *

"How's Kouji?" Goh asked as he shielded the Core Gunner from the mimetic beast's energy blasts.

"He's dead." Shizuru responded with false grief.

"I'm not dead yet." The cockpit has been stripped from the rest of the robot but its communication is still working.

"The large group is coming!" Momoko reported. "We've confirmed visuals that they're Jovian Lizards, batta-types to be exact."

"What? C'mon! They're annoyingly nimble."

"You focus on the mimetic beast while I try to shoot them." The Core Gunner stood up and ran off behind another building. "Go on, Jovians, make my day."

* * *

The people by the cape also saw the incoming insectoid machines and they began to run to take cover. "Mistress, the engagement suit is here." Makoto informed Ruri. "Arma, take care of the Mistress." He then ran off towards the automated Engagement Suit then leaped into its hatch to take control.

"Okay." Arma confirmed. He looked at Ruri then said, "Let me transform."

Ruri nodded then took out a lightstone and recited the invocation. "I will take your memories and give you this stone as my will." She kissed the shimmering lightstone and drew it close to Arma. It shattered into floating pieces and surrounded him with a spinning prism that reformed into an armor, covering everything but his hair and face.

Arma called on his power, "Something that will let me fly," and a hoverboard materialized beneath his feet. He flew then called forth another, "Something to blast stuff with," creating a muzzle in the middle of his knuckle.

"Whoa, a _henshin_ hero," Ryu said with mild surprise. "Haven't seen anyone like him since… us. Who are you guys exactly?" He directed the question to Ruri, the guests were introduced to each other before the wedding, while they ran as Arma and Makoto fended off the attackers.

Shinobu hauled Hajime, who has been distracted by the spectacle. "The base is not far from here. Let's go!"

"Okay, Mr. Saruwatari." Ruri got back to Ryu's question, "I'll explain later but let's keep running for now."

* * *

"How are Anna and the others?" Goh asked through the channel in between the Godannar's jabs against the beast.

"They're fine. They're on their way to the base." Kiriko replied. "They're about to pass through the graveyard at the moment. The people from Aiba Foundation are defending them."

"That's good to hear." Goh breathed out with relief.

"Focus, Goh!" Shizuru interrupted with voice slightly raised. "Our hands are kinda full here. Any chance of backup?" She viewed her robot's system monitors and declared, "I'll soon run out of ammo, too."

"We've contacted the other bases but they're also currently busy with attacks around the world." Kagemaru explained. "But the Vigilance Corps promised assistance with their Jin-rai units. They'll be dropping off soon."

Not what she was hoping for but it was better than nothing, she thought; the Jin-rai units are even more cumbersome than their robots and she feared they might do worse than the mobile suits and Knightmare Frames against the mimetic beast. "As long as they get here in time..."

"Drill Anchor?" The mimetic beast surprised Goh with its attack, originally the Club Mariner's, and he was knocked back towards several buildings until hitting the cliff where the escaping guests are. The ground gave in and they fell to whatever was under the graveyard. Arma caught Ruri but everyone else fell on their buttocks, except for Kaori who fell on her back and Ryu who embraced her in a clamp to protect their baby.

"Is everyone all right?" Ryu asked upon helping himself and Kaori get up.

"We're okay." Commander Aya confirmed, also speaking in behalf of Raita and Ako.

"I'm going back there." Arma said to Ruri as he carefully helped her land. The young lady responded with a simple nod.

Shinobu, with Pinpin in his arms, and Hajime stood up, too, leaving only one who hasn't. Shinobu looked for Anna and not far from where they stood, he saw the bride in her partly torn gown. "A-anna!" He gave the cat to Hajime then rushed to her and everybody else followed.

The impact left Goh in a daze. When he came to, he saw the damage it did and the guests struggling in the crevice. When his sight veered to Anna's unconscious body, he froze in shock for a moment. It's like it's happening all over again for him… the same hopelessness he felt five years ago. "Why you…" Goh and the Godannar furiously rose and ran back to the fray.

"Guys, I'm still out here." Tetsuya calmly reminded his comrades in spite of the situation. As soon as he spoke, half a dozen battas were on their way to him. "Oh, crap." He closed his eyes to resign himself to his fate and just when he thought that he'll be ripped to shreds, he heard a deafening vibration and explosions partially muffled by the former. After the noise died away, he opened his eyes to the giant that bailed him out of sure death; the Flag.

It faced his ripped cockpit and landed. "Perfect timing, wasn't it?" Aker greeted through the channel but Tetsuya's only reply was a whispered grunt. "Hang on. We're gonna scram." The Flag grasped the cockpit with its hands and flew away.

"The graveyard caved in," Konami reported. "Wait… Doctor! The old Dannar base's Emergency Intercept System is coming online." Her eyes widened at the incredulity of her readings. "The Godannar's impact might have accidentally triggered the old base's emergency power."

"What?" Kiriko had a gut feeling on what happened. "Anna!" She rushed to the bridge's panels and fidgeted with the controls, "I hope the old base's transceivers are still working."

Meanwhile, Momoko received a message. "Chief, it's the Flag. It's requesting to dock at our base. It says that it brought Tetsuya."

"Let it in."

* * *

"Anna! Anna!" Shinobu was screaming at her to wake her up. When it didn't work, he almost resorted to shaking her but Hajime stopped him.

"Ah! No! Don't do that!" Hajime yelled at him. "I've just consulted some experts on GALAX. They said that that's a big no-no."

"She's right," Ako concurred. "Please help me tilt her head back, Shinobu." She instructed and the young man did as he was told. She took out a short, thin paper sachet from her purse and cracked it close to Anna's nose. "I often get dizzy in my concerts so I always bring some smelling salts with me."

Anna groaned and her eyes gradually opened. "W-what happened? Where am I?" She asked the people around her as she breathed heavily, already conscious but still recovering.

"Anna!" Shinobu was overjoyed and had almost glomped the bride if it wasn't for Ryu and Raita immediately holding him back. He came to his senses soon after and properly responded. "We fell down here when we were running. You fainted… but I'm just glad you're okay now!" Finally relieved of worrying, he wiped some tears in his eyes as he explained.

"This is the old base." Ryu revealed. "It looks rundown now but we were here a lot of times before. There really are no bodies interred in those graves; they're mere markers for those weren't found after the war five years ago but considered dead."

"Can anyone hear me? Please respond!" Kiriko's voice crackled over the base's PA System.

"Mom!" Anna was back on her feet. "We're here. Everyone's okay."

"Thank goodness," Kiriko's voice became a bit calmer. "Stay there for a while. It will be safer than running off to the base at this moment. We'll send people to get you."

However, Anna wasn't paying attention to her mother as she was drawn to the sounds of explosions and flashes of lights coming from a large hole in the broken wall. She intuitively climbed towards it and took a peek. From there, she saw the back of a blue giant, as big and strong as it had been when she first saw it five years ago. _That's right… I wanted to know what was hidden inside that big back._ But something's different… he might be just as strong but the enemy is stronger than before. The Godannar, clearly overpowered, is on its knees. The ground shook once more and her worry grew.

"The activation program at the Eternal seal dock is... on?" Momoko reported. "What should we do? Doctor? Chief?"

The chief was about to give instructions when the doctor interrupted, "Never mind, this is inevitable." _I don't want to put you through this, Anna, but how will you handle a situation like this?_

"Releasing seal. Releasing seal." A pre-recorded voice announced.

"Goh-Chin's gonna die!" It was only then that she noticed the elephant in the living room, a gigantic, pink, metallic, woman. The others tried to stop her but she objected, "I have to go! I have to help him!"

"Neo-Okusaer ready for take-off."

She ran to the robot's holding bay and mashed some buttons on a device resembling a parking meter. "Hey! Please let me on! I know you can move, robot! Neo-Okusaer, right? Please, open up! It say's you're ready for takeoff."

"Do you really want to get in that badly?" Her mother asked.

"Yes! Goh needs my help!" The chief instructed the bridge operators to give her permission, at which point Neo-Okusaer's hatch opened and Anna leaped into it

"Everyone else, get back!" The chief ordered. The platform rose up until the robot is out of the crevice, the chains binding it breaking apart.

"The basic controls look the same to the ones we use at school. I can pilot it." Anna assured.

"We'll do our best to support you." Chief Kagemaru assured back.

Her mom also expressed support, "I've drilled you hard in the basics. The rest is up to you."

"Understood."

* * *

"Get lost!" Arma yelled as he dissected a batta laterally with his scarf-blade. "Just how many of these are there?"

"Just hold on!" Makoto replied, not realizing it was rhetorical. "We shouldn't let them reach the Mistress and the others." Using the next to last missile of his engagement suit's rocket launcher, he destroyed a cluster of the automatons. Afterwards, he sliced a leaping attacker with his suit's vibro-blades.

* * *

"Sir, there's another unidentified aircraft approaching!" Momoko said.

"Another hostile? Or is it the Vigilance Corps?" On edge, the Chief asked for clarification.

"Unable to confirm," She displayed the image into one of the monitors, showing a red, oddly designed aircraft. "We're observing really high energy readings… sir, I'm sorry, but I don't think we're getting it right. Our equipment might be broken or something." Her expression of worry turned to astonishment.

"Could that be…" _But I thought it was discontinued?_ He recognized the basic design though some things have changed from the prototype he once saw years ago.

"We're probably thinking the same thing right now." Kiriko likewise recognized it. Kagemaru looked back to her and they both nodded.

"It's a friendly." He confidently told the bridge operators. "Please also inform our pilots."

"Roger!"

* * *

"Goh-chin, I'm coming to save you! Okusaer Wing!" Anna yelled as the Neo-Okusaer ran, flipped, and landed in front of the Godannar, "Angel Wall!" The pink robot put up a barrier, blocking a blast from the mimetic beast.

"The Okusaer? I thought we sealed it!" The thought of having survived the attack hasn't even sunk in when Goh asked franticly.

"Goh-chin, it's me," Anna replied as Neo-Okusaer fired a blast of Gravity Bomber.

"Save it for later. Merge, you two," Kiriko commanded.

"Merge?" Goh didn't immediately believe what he heard.

"The Godannar has hardly any power left. The only chance you have is to merge and finish him off quickly."

"But…"

"I'll fight with you!"

"Idiot!" Goh hastily scolded his wife. "What can an amateur do? Hurry up and run!"

"Who are you calling an idiot?! I might not be able to fight like you but at least I can protect you."

"No! Go back!"

"No! We're together in sickness and in health! We're married, aren't we?"

"MA… MARRIED?!" The news startled the Dannar Base crew far more than the problem at hand.

"Oh, by the way, let me introduce her. She's my daughter. Treat her nicely." Kiriko stated matter-of-factly while the rest struggles with the slew of revelations.

"I mean it! I didn't marry you just to get you involved in a battle."

"Well, I'm not watching you get beat up even more!"

"Please understand. I don't want to lose the one I love again!"

"This isn't just about us. If we lose here, even more people will lose something important to them."

"No… No! I don't want that!"

"You call yourself a man? Stop whining! What is that robot for? Isn't it to protect people you care about?"

Goh was between a rock and a hard place but knew that his wife has a point. _I don't like this… but we need to get this over with._ Mustering his resolve, he initiated the combination sequence. "Drive change! Go!"

"Drive change! Go!" Anna echoed, relieved that her husband finally made up his mind. As the Neo-Okusaer folded itself, the Godannar opened its chest, engulfing the former.

"Dannar on!" Anna's seat rose to underneath Goh's cockpit, bringing her in front of him.

"Revolver, open! Godannar, Twin Drive!" The Dannar bulked up; it spread its mane, its forelimbs expanded, and eventually turned red. With their combination completed, they have become Godannar Twin Drive Mode; together as one... man, woman, and machine.

"What's that?" Makoto expressed his surprise upon seeing the red jet flying overhead. He almost readied himself to fire his rocket launcher to it, too, if it didn't fire missiles first into the battas. _Is that Saotome Labs' secret weapon?_ He finally recognized it with a better view. He retracted the rocket launcher and resumed fighting the Jovian machines with the suit's Twin SMG. "Looks like we'll be done soon."

From between Anna's thighs, a gun-like joystick sprouted from her seat. "Eek! What's this?"

"I'll explain later, Anna. Just grab that." The girl moved her still-gloved hand to grasp the gun. "When I give the signal, pull the trigger."

"Roger!" Temporarily, their bond as spouses was supplanted by that of being co-pilots, with a trainee taking orders from a veteran.

"We don't have much power left. I'm putting everything into this attack." The Godannar leaped gloriously, radiating a hair of flames. "Spiral Fire!" It spun and deflected the shockwave the mimetic beast released. Godannar gracefully landed on its feet and as soon as it did, the mimetic beast fired its drill anchor, meeting the robot's flaming fist. The drill anchor crumbled and the residual force from the counterpunch thrown the beast off balance. "Let's go, Anna!"

"Right!" The words Limiter Release and ENGAGE! FINAL MODE occupied their screen.

As the turbine engines on its chest overclocked, the Godannar propelled itself into the enemy. "Heart… Breaker!" Its burning right fist thrust and buried into its left chest. "Now! Fire!" With a battle cry not befitting a soft-spoken girl, Anna fired the gun-like controller. The pumping pistons on its forearm exerted compressed energy. With a release of focused bursting energy into the beast's body, the latter's shell was softened. Its color's transition from brown to gray indicated that it's peeling off.

"Farewell, Club Mariner!" Almost as if eulogizing, Goh called out to it. "This city and its people you protected… I won't let you destroy them!" They leaped again with ease as if gravity didn't have an effect. "Soul Breaker!" With a flying kick, Godannar sliced through the mimetic beast from its head to its tail. Landing behind the mimetic beast collapsing into a heap, smoke oozed from the robot as it reached its limit.

"Woohoo!" "Way to go, Goh!" The people at both the current and abandoned bases rejoiced, finally free of the pressure. Arma, Makoto, Shizuru, and whoever the pilot of the strange jet was were done on their end, too. Arma's transformation was undone just in time and a lot of parts of Makoto's suit were purged by the end of the battle. With everything clear, they helped Ruri and the rest who were climbing out. The Core Gunner sustained few more damages and the jet was relatively unharmed.

"What a bother," The red jet's pilot indifferently confirmed his accomplishment. "Don't get used to this too much, old man. I'm not your errand boy. Tch." The red jet flew away with neither an introduction nor acknowledgment but no one seemed to care much.

"Type 12, destroyed!"

"Club Mariner, neutralized!" The two bridge operators simultaneously reported. In the midst of celebration, it didn't matter which.

"Waking up giants takes a lot of work, doesn't it?" Dr. Aoi said with relief. Her phone rang again and she took it out from where she usually keeps it. She flipped it open and played a video message. It was the Club Mariner, though the mimetic beast that infested it was already mostly detached. Zooming in, she saw a naked, blond woman ejected from its cockpit. "Impossible… It can't be… It's YOU!" Her eyes widened and she mildly trembled.

"The cavalry has arrived…" Konami proclaimed aridly when visuals from the Godannar's perspective showed three blocky robots being lifted by aircrafts. At least, the Vigilance Corps was true to its word. "Better late than never."

"Uh… please tell them that we appreciate their effort," Kagemaru instructed as he took a look at the large monitors. "And... that we can take it from here."

* * *

 _Meanwhile in the infirmary..._

"I guess I'm done here." First Lieutenant Aker picked up his helmet. Hearing news that the threat has been defeated made him feel at ease. "Got a demonstration to attend."

"You're not too bad... for a Britannian," Tetsuya remarked with the same agitated voice he displayed earlier.

"Thanks," Aker has opened the door when he turned around.

"Don't get cocky. Not much of my opinion has changed." His voice has softened a little, probably because the medicines were starting to take effect.

Aker smirked lightly and retorted before leaving for good, "You're not too bad yourself... for a Japanese."


	3. Ch2 - Conglomerate

**Summary:**

Conglomerate, a cooperative effort among the world's most powerful corporations, begins to set its plans in motion. With the launch of the Nadesico, the UEAF is displeased and enacts countermeasures against this perceived defiance of authority.

* * *

When everything has calmed down and was determined safe, rescue teams from the Dannar base and Vigilance Corps, who insisted on aiding to save face, mobilized towards the cape. About half an hour after the battle ended, the wedding guests found themselves in the Dannar base.

"Glad that you're safe, Commander Odagiri," Kagemaru saluted and welcomed his old ally. Despite having lost her position, she's still being referred to in such a way by her colleagues, out of endearment. "Everyone, too. Good work." He looked towards the rest with emphasis on Arma and Makoto and approvingly nodded.

It looked like Commander Aya was going to return salute but she actually stretched out her arm for a handshake, "That's as much as I can humor that." Kagemaru put down his salute and returned the gesture.

Ruri went forward and bowed, "I'm Ruri Aiba of Aiba Foundation. Delighted to make your acquaintance," The rest of her companions followed her example, almost excepting Hajime who ran off to the spectacles that caught her attention but Makoto grabbed her. "Forgive me for not setting up an appointment but I have something to discuss with you." Kagemaru looked at her incredulously and she clarified, "An offer, actually. This may save your base from being decommissioned." She turned towards the Jetmen, "This will also involve you. Please hear me out."

"Let's have this conversation in the primary meeting room," Kiriko suggested and gestured to the rest to follow.

"Please allow me to come with the mechanics instead, Miss," Makoto asked permission from his lady, "I want to oversee the repairs on the Engagement Suit. I'll take Hajime and Onigawara with me, too."

"Oh, please do," Ruri handed over the demonic brick. "Arma, please come with me."

"Whatever…" Arma muttered and followed dispassionately.

"I can't go with you," Kaori excused herself. "I think Aya's hungry. I'll go feed her at the snack bar."

"Ah, of course," Ryu smiled and knowingly nodded. He pinched Aya's cheeks and cooed at the baby, "That's a good girl. We'll still have the party when we get home, okay? Happy first birthday!" Kaori smiled at her husband as he proceeded to join the others.

As they were following Dr. Aoi, Goh saw Anna tagging along right behind them. He quickly turned to her and dragged her aside with dulled force. Shizuru subtly glanced at the young girl and in that flash, has scanned her from head to toe and back. Her strides' distance increased and her footfalls became a bit louder, overtaking everyone except the Chief and the doctor.

"Stay here! This has nothing to do with you."

"But…"

"I don't think we can let you in on this and I don't have time to argue. Let's talk after we both have enough rest, okay?

Goh ran and caught up to them, leaving Anna with no choice but to turn the other way.

* * *

 _ **In a plane over Area 11's airspace…**_

A middle-aged man flipped a page of his broadsheet with the headline "Nergal launches civilian battleship; irks UN Forces". He reached out for a brownie in a plate in front of him only to grasp less than half a handful of crumbs remaining. "Ally?" He peeked over his newspaper to see his teenage daughter stuffing herself with the snack in between sips of pineapple juice. "C'mon, Ally…"

"What, Dad? You can just call them over for more, can ya?" His daughter replied after swallowing a piece. "After all, we own this plane."

"That's not the point, Al," He put down his newspaper and continued, "Can you not eat like that? It just seems so… improper."

She crossed her arms and legs, sighing in reply, "Eating a lot is just my idiosyncrasy, Dad." She beckoned to a stewardess standing by the door and smiled lightly. "Another serving, please. Some hot chocolate, too." The stewardess smiled back and picked the plate from the table into a pushcart and went out of the cabin. "It's not like I'm getting fatter or even taller, at least. Anyway, why read a newspaper made from paper in this day and age when there's the internet? Do you even have a GALAX account, Dad?"

"No, and I'm not planning to." He resumed to his reading but remained engaged in the conversation. "I keep my use of technology to the minimum as possible to have a life outside it."

"We could have kept more in touch if you only agreed to video chatting. Then again, Mom told me not to bother you at work." She leaned her elbows on the table and clasped her hands above her head. "Must be really hard to own and run one of the largest technology companies, huh, Dad?"

"Y-yeah…" Marshal agreed hesitantly. "Samaritan Industries is at its peak at the moment." He forced a smile as he peeked again behind his newspaper. The two were silent for seconds until he continued talking. "I'm sorry that you barely felt my presence since my divorce with Dolce… I mean, your Mom. I want to…"

"No, no, Dad, please. Just… say no more." Fumbling to interrupt her father, her glasses almost slid down her nose. "I mean… it's... it's okay… I guess. I… understand your circumstances. I'm really not complaining."

"I just feel so embarrassed. If it wasn't for Dolce taking the initiative…"

"Not a word, Dad. Let's just keep this natural like other parent-child bonding." She smiled halfheartedly and sat back straight when she saw the stewardess come in. "Oh, it's here. Thanks."

 _Poor choice of words; maybe I should forswear this for now. This might not be the right time._ He let the uneasy atmosphere pass until he began talking again. "I've already arranged your transfer to a new school for our stay here in Area 11."

"Which school?"

He grabbed a briefcase beside him and placed it on the table. He opened it to reveal a stack of papers; _that's too much for an enrolment form_ , Ally thought. "Ashford Academy," Marshal replied as he took out a paper and pointed out the school's name and logo.

"Hmm… Lemme see," Ally took the paper from his father and skimmed through the text. "Uh, this doesn't look like mine," Noticing someone else's name, she brought her face closer to the paper and looked back at her father.

"It's yours… but you wouldn't enter this school as yourself."

"What?" His reply puzzled her. "Why?"

"Security reasons," He leaned back. "Area 11 is a dangerous place. Civil disobedience and violent riots have been becoming very common these days. As much as possible, I don't want you to attract attention. I've talked to the school about this and secured all legal documents necessary."

"Wow… So I'm, like, undercover." Ally snickered at the thought. "But Ally Aisle, seriously? Can't I pick a better name?"

"No, this name will do." Marshal heaved a sigh and looked her in the eye. "Please promise that you wouldn't try to stand out too much. Make friends, participate in class, but remember to go with the flow."

"No worries there, Dad. I'm pretty average." She replied nonchalantly, affirming her dislike of the instruction indirectly.

"I'm sure that you're a talented kid, Ally, but I have to ask this of you until everything settles down."

"When will everything settle down?" She exasperatedly questioned in rhetoric, soon interrupted by the pilot's voice-over.

"To all passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are about to land. Please fasten your seat-belts and prepare for landing."

* * *

 _ **Back at Dannar Base…**_

"Honored associates, I am here to invite you to an organization that aims to improve the world." Ruri boldly began, meeting gazes with every listener in the room. "As a response to the growing troubles that the Earth Sphere is experiencing, several multinational corporations have decided to pool their resources to provide a solution. We intend it to be free from political influence, hence creating a vanguard composed of people of various races and creeds. The Aiba Foundation is, of course, going to be a part of this attempt." She paused, giving everyone else the time to interpret what she just said; even the stoic Arma, who knows her a little more than anyone in the room, was stunned by how different she was from her usual self.

"…You sure start big," Kagemaru uncrossed his arms and placed a hand on the table. "But a rousing opening is barely enough to justify what you are trying to accomplish here." _Imposing but charismatic_ , was what Ruri was trying to go for but it only served to throw everyone off. The listeners traded glances as if wondering what it was all about and by then, she knew that she took the wrong approach.

"I apologize," she said with a more natural, unrehearsed humility, "What I was trying to say was that we, a group of influential corporations, realized that we can take some matters to our own hands, in a good way. There are things that the various governments do not deal with, but not necessarily ignore nonetheless. " Her softer tone finally befitted that of a younger lady without betraying her seriousness, "There are problems that may not be among their top priorities but are of grave importance. Sometimes, it may be because of their lack of resources or the risks are too high and probability of success is low."

"That doesn't entirely apply," Commander Odagiri countered. "Take the Nadesico's mission to Mars for example. There would be no apparent loss for the UE whether the Nadesico succeeds or not but they still vehemently oppose it. I think the world governments are more concerned with their own petty wars than the extraterrestrial threats… and that's pretty easy to see. They immediately ruled out the possibility of survivors because that was more convenient for them. I wouldn't be surprised if they are eyeing the Nadesico for their own."

"That was a big problem, yes," Ruri admitted, her right hand's index finger and thumb pinched her lower lip. "But now they can oppose all they like but our merger has gained corporate diplomacy. We are basically our own country. We have a better chance of having our way now." Once again, the words she spoke left the listeners flabbergasted. Excepting the commanders and the doctor, they gave each other a few confused glances again.

"Uh… excuse me but could you explain this "corporate diplomacy" thing to us?" Ako Hayasaka asked ahead of the rest with the same question on their mind. "How can a corporation be considered a country?"

"Not exactly a country but as powerful as one," Dr. Aoi corrected, "Like the Hanseatic League of the Middle Ages; while not sovereign, they were economically and politically influential. This merger group has only been around recently, right? I've heard rumors about it but the specifics were vague."

"That's a simple way to put it," Ruri nodded and smiled, pleased that the conversation is improving.

"The Aiba Foundation by itself is a big name in the business world so it is no surprise if you claim such an influence. Among others that came up are Nergal, Samaritan Industries, and the Hadou group, the latter being a rare instance of a non-Britannian corporation flourishing in the mainland. Even the Outer Space Development Group is rumored to be a part of it, which was strange as it isn't a corporate entity. Though, given your interest in us it is starting to make sense now."

"You're building your own force," Kagemaru added as he put it all together.

"But wouldn't you be considered as a threat to the global security then? I've seen news of opposition towards the Nadesico." Goh spoke, "You're pulling something dangerous, aren't you?"

"There's nothing to worry about. Only the military forces oppose the launch." Ruri addressed Goh's question. "We acquired permission from UE's general assembly and security council themselves. In fact, they'll send an observer with us on our mission. We haven't been informed of his identity yet but we take it as a sign of assurance." Ruri paused for a moment, remembering her objectives, "I'm getting sidetracked. To get to the point, I'm here to request the assistance of your pilots on our mission. Be assured that the base and the pilots will be compensated handsomely. We'll pay in advance before the launch and there will be severance pay upon completion of the mission. Afterwards, financial support to the base and its pilots will continue in exchange for combat data."

The meeting room fell silent again; some with how much the group is willing to pay while some thought of the danger, until Goh turned to Kagemaru, "Commander, what do you think?"

The commander's hands that were interlocked together unraveled for him to cross his arms, "When is the launch?" He asked unflappably without paying attention to Goh.

"Three days from now," Ruri replied delightedly. "So, have we come to terms?"

"But...! Commander!" Shizuru protested. "We're lacking manpower as it is…"

"Give us until then," Kagemaru replied without heeding Shizuru, "I want to properly discuss this with our pilots." Upon hearing it, the lady pilot quieted down while continuing to look worried.

"Fair enough. We'll have the documents ready by then if you decide to participate." Ruri tried to reach out for a handshake but the commander wouldn't have it. Thus, the girl retracted her stretched arm.

"If you're recruiting pilots then we're out. We former Jetmen are just civilians now." Ryu attempted to exempt his group from the conversation as he maintained a smiling façade while his anxiety grew. "Our base shut down a few years ago."

"Regarding that…" Ruri turned to Ryu, "You were not called here for the same agenda as the Dannar base. You will not be asked to pilot; at least, not yet."

"Please excuse me but can you please not beat around the bush?" Ruri's words made him even more uneasy, with his forced smile almost turning into a grimace. "If not for that, what then?"

She nodded once, "Having obtained the rights to the Sky Force Base, the Conglomerate is planning to reinstate it. We are nearly at the final stages of restoration. Refurbishing the equipment, recalibrating the robots, appointing personnel; but what it lacks is you, the Jetmen. We want you back in action."

 _Back in action,_ she said. The words rang on the other Jetmen's ears like a distress signal on which they had to answer. What response, however, they were quite unsure. "I don't know if we can trust you, business-types," Ako spoke hesitatingly. "I can't help but feel that these companies are doing this to turn profits. Not sure why." All heads were turned to listen to her, "If these people are as powerful as they say they are, it wouldn't be long for them to abuse it." She strode lengthily towards the lady and slammed her palms in front of her. "You're overwhelming us into submission, aren't you? Prying our eyes wide open and keeping our ears peeled with enlivening words but in truth, you'll be keeping us in the dark. Well, I'm tired of hearing your sales pitch and I'm not buying it."

Before she can say more, Arma stood up and intervened. He towered over Ako and she unconsciously stepped back. Tension filled the room then he spoke, "Think what you want but I at least know she's not just doing this for herself," It was Ruri's turn to be surprised. Never has he shown concern so much about anything, especially about her. "Refuse if you like but you haven't known her enough to accuse her."

Taken aback by his words, Ako ceased pressing Ruri and went back to her seat. "You shouldn't have done that," Raita whispered to her and she just turned away.

"I appreciate the effort of your group trying to put the base back together," Ryu paused and exchanged glances with Commander Odagiri, "But I will have to decline the offer of rejoining. I'm a family man now and though I know the importance of those that fight to protect the world, I don't think that I can take both responsibilities without neglecting one of them."

"Hmm, is that so?" Ruri softly spoke as she also guided Arma to sit down. "I understand your circumstances. W-what about the res-"

"I'm out," Ako interrupted.

"I'm sorry," Raita spoke next with a worried look, "But I also have the same reasons with Ryu."

"Send the files for this project my way," Odagiri's reply turned the Jetmen's heads to her. "I would like to carefully evaluate my options."

"But, Commander…"

"Let's save this discussion for another day," she continued as she stifled her former subordinates with a subtle yet meaningful glance. "I'm done with teaching tactical forecast in the university so it's high time to check new opportunities. I jest, of course." She stood up and bowed, to which Ryu and company followed. "Miss Aiba, Commander Kagemaru, if you'll please excuse us we have a previous arrangement to attend. This has been a most fulfilling discussion."

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile in Arkham City, Massachusetts, Britannian Homeland...**_

 _Knock, knock._

 _"Zzz…"_

 _Knock, knock, knock._

 _"Zzz… hnggh…"_

 _Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock…_

" _Hu…_ _huggggh._ Daaaaaaaa! Give it a rest!" Throwing away his blanket, the tenant awoke with a startle from his couch and sat up. "If it's the bill collector, I don't have a single cent right now." Grabbing an analog clock from a nearby table, he blinked repeatedly to clear his vision's blur, "What the… only a quarter after six?! If there's a God, he might not have even woken up yet!" He chanced upon the half-risen sun peeking from behind the neighbor's rooftop through his curtain-less window and averted his eyes from the refracted flare. _The fog has subsided early,_ he thought.

 _Knock, knock!_ Without any utterance, the knocking continued with even louder thuds. Thinking that whoever is behind the door has set his heart to ruining his day, he struggled to rise up and begrudgingly received his punctual visitor, "Yeah, yeah… Coming! Who is it?!"

"Is this the office of Mr. Daijuuji Kurou?" When he opened the door, there's a tall man in a very neat black suit standing there. He stood upright, dignified, and though slender, shown no signs of frailty. The man in the fine suit stared at the distressed man with cold eyes behind the lens of his glasses.

"Who wants to know?" Kurou replied with still drowsy but questioning eyes.

The finely dressed man stepped aside and made way for a lady to enter. She's wearing an extravagant dress befitting a Britannian noblewoman but her facial features indicated an East Asian ancestry; already a rarity by itself but for a girl of such finesse to step into such a grimy apartment is another. She spoke, or rather declared, "I have a job for you, Mr. Daijuuji Kurou."

He took a few glances at her, mentally noting her striking features and well-balanced proportions despite her petite stature. Before his mind drifted farther, he got back to the issue at hand; the word "job" abated his drowsiness and though still surprised and confused, he invited the guests in without awaiting the answer, "… Come in."

He rushed before the guests and cleared the beddings from his couch. "Sorry about the mess," He picked up pieces of dirt that he left around the room the night before, mainly scraps of papers and wrappers of some cheap candy bars. "You're almost two hours too early from my usual office hours. Anyway, state your business." He pointed the clients to the couch and proceeded to the kitchen to check his cupboards for treats that he can serve. "I haven't been to the grocer lately so… tea?"

"I haven't introduced myself yet have I?" The lady began as she sat down where Kurou was just sleeping a while ago, the suited man remained standing beside her. Kurou brought the teabags and utensils to a small round table and he sat on another couch opposite her. "My name is Hadou Ruri and this is my butler, Winfield."

"Hadou… Ru…" The man's voice trailed off before he could repeat her name. The spoon he was holding slipped off his fingers to his cup and he slightly trembled. "Hadou… W-w-what?! Y-y-you can't possibly…"

"Yes, it might be as you suspect, Mr. Daijuuji," She gently laid down a business card on the table and on it is clearly written: "Hadou Financial Group, President Hadou Ruri". His mind briefly ran through his knowledge of the company. The Hadou Financial Group, one of the largest and most influential corporations in the world, was founded by Hadou Kouzou. It's fair to say that the Group's vast fortune support Arkham's economy, transforming it from a bleak town to a bustling metropolis and effectively establishing them as its _de facto_ leaders. In spite of appearances (specifically, their penchant for retrotronics), they are among the leading names in technology. Even among the haughty, ruling Britannians, the name is both to be feared and respected. Hadou Kouzou has been long dead and gone and his power has been inherited by an elusive heir. _Could this young lady really be…?_

"S-so… you're saying that a wealthy, cream-of-the-cream-of-the-crop belle like you has a job for a poorer-than-a-rat-surplus-of-society-that-should-have-been-aborted-in-his-mother's-womb guy like me?"

"I don't know if you're being modest or pathetic or ironic but anyway that's beside the point. There's something I'd like you to find for me." She replied while Winfield pours the hot water on her cup for her.

"But why me, specifically?" He began sipping his cup, trying to calm himself from the shock. "With your fortune, surely, you can hire a more capable and high class private investigator."

"Because this job requires the skills of someone like you."

"What do you mean?"

"I would like you to find a grimoire. A genuine one, the sort that sorcerers use."

 _"Puhahuhahhuh,_ " The unexpected request triggered Kurou's gag reflex and he coughed his tea in a spurting burst. Fast on his feet, Winfield blocked the bombardment with the tray. "W-what would something shady like that have to do with me?" He desperately attempted to conceal his anxiety but it wouldn't take an inquisition to find him guilty.

The butler whipped out a file from a suitcase and started browsing through it. "Daijuuji Kurou. Withdrew after two years from Miskatonic University. Field of Study: Archaeology. At least, officially, yet the truth is different." He closed the folder and continued, "Mr. Daijuuji, what you dabbled in at Miskatonic University were occult studies. In other words, you learned magic theory."

"Y-you! How much do you know?!" He flipped out; suddenly, his disheveled bed hair became more appropriate. He readied himself for what he thought could become an encounter.

"Please pardon my intrusion but I took the liberty of looking into your background. The existence of Miskatonic University's occult studies department is unknown to the public and even most people in it. It was difficult finding someone like you. Only one who knows magic can recognize a true grimoire, which is why an ordinary investigator won't be of much use. It must be you."

He fixed his posture and tried to slowly calm himself. "I'm sorry. Drinking tea too often must have made me jumpy." He breathed in and out, "And sorry to disappoint you but I didn't cut it. I can't even use basic magic."

The butler replied, "Even so, you should have made it to the class involving the reading of grimoires."

"What do you people want a grimoire for? You guys might think that grimoires are just books but they are compilations of unholy knowledge, the horrors that man aren't meant to know. Nothing good will come from using them. It's even more dangerous for amateurs to mess with them."

"Demonbane." Ruri Hadou took over for the butler in the conversation. Daijuuji stared at her, in anticipation of an explanation for the vague word. "It is a means to resist Black Lodge left by my grandfather. It was Hadou Kouzou who predicted that Black Lodge would grow to a threat beyond the confines of Arkham. The government did not listen to him and now those terrorists are growing in power. Their giant robots are born of science and magic and to defeat them, we need both as well." She took a sip from her tea. "The leaders of Black Lodge, Master Therion and his lieutenants, are true sorcerers. I presume you are familiar with how terrible a true sorcerer can be, Mr. Daijuuji."

"I've never met one but I can imagine."

"We of the Hadou Group have always lived together with Arkham City. We cannot allow their tyranny to continue. Magic must defeat magic, which is why my grandfather, Hadou Kouzou, employed magical theory in developing a weapon to use against them."

"That Demon-whatever?"

"Exactly. However, Demonbane requires a grimoire to activate, just as a sorcerer needs one to use magic.

"I don't know…" Kurou responded reluctantly. "I'm not even sure if I can find one."

"We know that it's a difficult job so, of course, we will pay well. To begin with, here is for your forward payment plus expenses." The butler came forward and set another suitcase on the table.

"If you find a grimoire, we will pay you a further completion fee." Ruri smiled at the man whose eyes are widened at the tightly packed stack of bills. "Have we come to terms, Mr. Daijuuji?"

"I'll take it!" He snapped at the princess. "No one should have to suffer because of the evil of Black Lodge! I may not be the hero that Arkham deserves but I'm the one you need right now. That grimoire is as good as yours!"

Their business was concluded favorably for both parties and the investigator accompanied the lady and her butler out of the apartment. Kurou waved goodbye as his generous clients left on a vintage car.

"Can we really trust that man?" Winfield inquired as he drove, looking at Ruri in the backseat from the rearview mirror.

"Let's only hope for the best," She replied. "More importantly, give me an update on our recent business transactions."

"I was contacted by a rare retailer of vacuum tubes in Area 11 which goes by the name _VT Trading Firm_ , run by a certain Maeda Sakitaro. We don't usually produce vacuum tubes for distribution and it might be too much to do so for a lone retailer but you will have the final say, milady." He paused, "Wait, I think that was Maedasaki Taro. As for Nergal's order, the Toy Reanimators will be shipped today."

"Well done. Please inform Mr. Maedasaki Taro that we'll think about it. The Nadesico will be launching soon… This will be the first step for the Conglomerate to lead the Earth Sphere to a brighter future." In her eyes were the brilliance of dreams and expectations, almost innocent-like in spite of her professional demeanor. "Grandpa, your dreams could finally come true."

* * *

"I've never seen a KMF like this before," the older, though still middle-aged, mechanic voiced his admiration of the machine as the Dannar base's maintenance crew repairs it. The dyed red fringe of his hair betrays his seniority and to Makoto, reminding him of the delinquents he had to deal with since leading the student council. In spite of it, his impression of him is that of a responsible man who has been through a lot in life.

"Sorry, but it's not a KMF." Makoto clarified. "We simply call it as an Engagement Suit."

"Hmmm… Looks like a KMF to me." The mechanic gutturally replied, bumping his fist on the cockpit's cushion. "Despite the cramped space, Shizuru's butt might still fit here comfortably." Makoto raised his eyebrows and Onigawara subtly rolled his eyes, the former's first impressions shattered in seconds. "Where did you have it upholstered?"

"Please don't talk like that, Mr. Shibakusa," A younger mechanic chastised his superior. He rolled out from under the Engagement Suit, which was in vehicle mode, and sat on his creeper. "Please don't mind him. He says weird stuff like that sometimes."

"Don't talk about me like I'm some kind of criminal, Morimoto!" The head Mechanic objected as he brought his soldering iron to an open circuit box under the seat. "Let's finish this before the Chief's meeting ends!"

"Don't mind us. Please take your time."

A few minutes passed, Ruri and Arma finally came by to fetch Makoto, having already fetched Hajime, and the Jetman crew with Kaoru and her baby. They parted ways amiably with exchanges of bows, at least most of them. They took their way home, each group, and went on with their own businesses.

* * *

 ** _Three days later…_**

The civilian battleship Nadesico floats in the waters of Nergal's Yokosuka docks, awaiting the final additions to its crew. Human workers ran to and fro in the ship's hangar while saucer-like robotic aides whirred to assist them.

"These Toy Reanimators from Hadou are really a great help," Uribatake, the ship's chief mechanic, said in aside. He raised his megaphone and boomed on a repairman-reanimator pair, "Yeah, that's it. Take your time with it. But try to do it fast _but_ surely if you can!"

"What now then?" A young man asked as a bigger, older man walked him around.

"You piloted a robot without our authorization and damaged it but you did save our lives. We aren't military here so we might drop charges we can think of if you officially apply as a pilot. In which case, it may be reduced to oral reprimand. Mr. Prospector, especially, wants a word with you."

"Eh?! I-isn't that blackmailing?"

"It's only an option; if you want to be sued by one of the most powerful corporations in the world, suit yourself."

The young man sighed and before he can mutter another reply, a rowdy fellow limped in on them aggressively. Evident of his injury, he has a pained face. "Hey, hey! You're letting him off just like that?! He stole my moment of glory!"

"Mr. Yamada, whose fault was it that you injured your leg?" Mr. Hoary, the huge man, bluntly asked, pointing at the limping man's crutch.

"I… I told you already! My name's not Jiro Yamada! It's Gai Daigoji!"

Mr. Hoary ignored him and resumed talking to Akito, the young man, "Mr. Tenkawa, we'll be expecting your reply before we launch. See you then."

"But I just want to be a cook…"

"You! Don't think that just because you're the captain's pet you can already do as you like." Gai yelled at Akito intimidatingly or at least attempted to. His enthusiastic ranting has distorted his face comically. "Piloting robots are for men! Men! With the boiling blood of heroes flowing into every blood vessel of their body! But if a girl is manly enough to boil with the blood of heroes, then they can pilot, too!"

"Huh? What nonsense are you going on about?" Akito raised his arms in surrender as he leaned away from Gai's shoving, trying to avoid eye contact as well. "I don't wanna pilot, too, y'know?"

"Listen, I don't care if you'll continue to pilot but I won't allow you to stand out more than me. Got that?"

"But… I just told you I don't wanna…"

"Shush. No need to apologize. I'm a hero, so I'm forgiving! That's my own justice!"

"Don't just go around calling yourself a hero like that!" Akito objected to the smugly nodding Gai.

"Hey, you _boke_ and _tsukkomi_! Get out of there!" Uribatake called out to them. They've been absorbed in their own little quarrel that they have not taken heed of the thunderous roar of the engine of a docking aircraft. "Gangway, gangway! Jet coming through!" The aircraft unfurled its landing gear and made contact with the hangar's runway. Akito ran off while Gai grabbed onto one of his arms and let himself get dragged, staggering behind. They both stumbled, almost fell, but Akito has good balance and made up for the control that Gai lacked, who can only make half the steps Akito takes. The three-legged racers' sprint finished off just about the same time as the blue jet's tailhook snagged on the arresting wires.

"Phew…" The two emitted a breath of relief and stood up with still-panicked looks. Akito stood up first and reached for Gai's hand, while he used the other to hand him his crutch, and pulled him up.

The jet's engine throttled down and a man and a woman deplaned through the jet's airstair. "Sup?" The man with the flaxen hair hailed as they were walking down.

"Uh… hello…" Akito replied coyly. Gai waved his free hand once he was able to stand up by himself.

"Nice to meet you guys again." The lady greeted. "I thought you weren't staying, Mr. Tenkawa. Have you changed your mind?"

"I wasn't supposed to," Akito droopily answered. "But they left me with no options. Also, just Akito will be fine."

Aki, the lady, pondered on Akito's statement until she smiled back, "No need to be formal with me, too, then. You fought really well against the Jovians last time. It's no wonder that you're a welcome addition to the crew." She shifted her glance to Gai and addressed him, "By the way, how's your leg, Mr. Yamada?"

"It's Gai Daigoji." Gai answered and Noal, the blond man, patted his shoulder.

"Man, get that leg some rest or else you'll be missing out on the action again."

"We'd love to stay and chat but where's the captain?" Aki inquired.

Akito paused for a bit as a mental image of Yurika with a silly, lovestruck smile popped in. "Haven't seen her yet today but my guess would be she's on the bridge, though she always did love to roam."

"Akito, my Akito…"

"Ehem, Captain…" A uniformed old man tried to sway her away from her mental absence. "Captain Misumaru, do you approve of the additions to our crew?"

"Captain Misumaru!" Mr. Prospector slammed the folders on the table and pressed his palm on it.

"W-what?" In her alarm, she fell off her swivel chair. "Sorry, come again?"

Mr. Prospector's eyes and lips twitched, "Captain, we said, what do you think of the new pilots that will join our crew?" He knowingly softened his voice and slowed what he's saying.

"Ah! Of course! Akito Tenkawa is welcome to join the Nadesico. Let him be designated as both cook and pilot."

Mr. Prospector sighed under his breath, "I figured that that much is already established, Captain, but what about the rest?" He slid the folders on the meeting table toward the captain.

She picked it up and began reading. Her eyes wandered from left to right and back again, going lower and lower until she flips the page. Repeat. Nearly five pages later, she spoke, "I'm okay with these guys. Anything to add, Mr. Prospector?"

"Two of the new pilots are newlyweds. We might have a problem with them regarding our policy prohibiting sexual relations."

Yurika blushed at the notion, "W-well, the only way we would be able to prove that is if they have a baby, r-right? I presume married couples learn family planning beforehand. Ehehe…"

"But that's not much of an assurance!" Mr. Prospector brought his fingers to his chin then adjusted his glasses. "But we can keep them away from each other."

"Hm?" Yurika tilted her head quizzically. Then she caught on, "What? I will not keep two lovers away from each other! That would be too cruel!" Her face turned into an appalled frown. She put her hands to her waist and stared at Mr. Prospector condemningly.

"I'm just saying that we should at least not allow them to share living quarters but whatever."

"I agree with Captain Misumaru on this." The old man voiced his opinion.

"A-admiral Fukube?!" Mr. Prospector was having difficulties accepting the more experienced officer's concurrence with the novice captain.

"On a tactical standpoint, it would be disadvantageous to drive a wedge between the pilots of a combining robot."

"T-that's true, but what about our policy then?"

"To begin with, it's not something that we can properly enforce. We can only count on our crew being responsible."

"All is good then…" The captain lightheartedly concluded the discussion. Just then, the intercom rang. She pressed a button then spoke. "What is it?"

From the other line, she heard the familiar cold and even voice of a young girl, "The new pilots have started to arrive. We need you on the bridge, Captain."

"Oh, thanks, Ruri. Tell them I'll be there."

Goh was irate. The heat was sweltering and he's in the middle of traffic in a convertible. Trying to ease his discomfort, he glanced aside and back but the sight of the two ladies beside and behind him made his annoyance grow. In spite of his disapproval, Anna is coming to the Nadesico with him as decided by her mother. Their mechs were sent ahead of them and they are on their way for embarkment.

"I still think it's a bad decision to thin out Dannar base's forces this much." Goh, riding shotgun, said with a dismayed tone. "With Kouji terribly injured, Shizuru would be pulling double duty."

"Don't worry about it. We're not the only ones protecting Japan." Kiriko assured Goh. "The Photon Power Labs have a capable team and Saotome Labs will soon have one, too. The Vigilance Corps is also reliable when it counts…"

"I can understand being sent for this mission, but Anna? She has no formal training! Why does she have to be my co-pilot?" He berated his mother-in-law. "Sending a spirited girl to save the world like in weekends' kids' shows doesn't work as well in real life."

As they weaved through the congested parade of vehicles, Kiriko half-minded his complaints. "You're right, Goh. She's a rookie; however, this would be good training for her, don't you think? An on the field training would be good experience."

"Hey! Stop arguing about me like I'm not here." Anna objected from the back seat. "And I'm not just gonna be your co-pilot. I and Okusaer am a separate unit until prompted to combine."

"Huh?!" Goh was about to stand from his seat, ignoring Anna's protest. "An on the field training?! In space?! Do you even care about your daughter?!"

"I do care about my daughter," The car swerved and Dr. Aoi stepped on the brakes. "That's why she's coming with you." She locked onto his eyes with conviction and somehow, Goh got her point. "We're here. This is as far as I'll go."

The couple got off the car, with Anna pulling the duffel bags out. Goh tried to help but Anna yanked it away from him. "I _can_ do this." She continued her pace as Goh trudged behind wearily.

"Hey, Goh!" The professor called out to him. He turned around, his shoulders hunched and his face that of a defeated man. "Take care of her."

* * *

"Let's see… oh, we're on to the last one! And this one's from… Samaritan Industries? Right, miss?" Uribatake asked a girl holding a tablet in her hands.

"Yes, sir." She nodded and her sharp, upwardly slanting eyes blinked a bit. Uribatake couldn't help but have his heart thumping faster momentarily and, as much as an adult could, began to blush. She hasn't noticed, however, as her attention was drawn to a carrier with caterpillar tracks bringing in a mech with a bulbous cephalothorax. "Here it is, sir; S.I.'s pride, the XT-Acea."

The mechanic's wonder shifted from the girl to the machine but instead of awe, he raised his eyebrows to its unconventional design. Aside from a bulbous torso-head, it also has pincers terminating its arms and thin, backwards-bending legs. In addition to its bestial features, it also has a pair of missile launchers on its back.

"Hey, Ms. Ecksturm! Yoohoo!" A boy peeked from above the mecha's head, waving to the people below with a toothy grin.

"A-ah?! Mihai?! Get down from there!" Ms. Ecksturm yelled, trembling like a guardian of an unruly ward. She freed one of her hands from the tablet and beckoned to him to come down. Other people gathered around to see what the commotion was about.

"Right, right!" He backed away and Ms. Ecksturm thought that he would take the rope ladder hanging from the XT-Acea's back. Apparently not; Mihai gathered momentum then finally leaped, feet jogging in the air. The people went wild with the quickly falling boy in sight; they looked away, fearing for the worst as a dust cloud gathered at his landing point. When it cleared away, he's standing there, arms crossed, and still goofily smiling. "Don't fret. I'm wearing S.I.'s Prototype CushionFall Custom Boots!" He raised his right foot and mimicked a handgun with his hands to point at it then clicked his tongue and winked. The showboating left the crowd less than amused and they began to disperse.

The girl drooped in embarrassment and approached the boy. She dragged him by the ear to Uribatake. "Mihai Toddkhuslen, pilot and endorser for Samaritan Industries. By the way, I'm Lindana Ecksturm, researcher and assistant developer for the XT-Acea. The head developer, Rangstal Ecksturm, will be here shortly." She introduced the kid and pointed Uribatake to him with her nose and a tilt of her head. "Mihai, say hi!"

"Nice to meet you, sir! Pleasure to be working with you!" He held out his hand but the mechanic only sighed.

"Seiya Uribatake, chief mechanic. Just sign this and be on the bridge in 25 minutes for the briefing."

"Yes, sir!" Mihai enthusiastically replied and gave a mock salute.

* * *

 _ **After 25 minutes, in Nadesico's bridge…**_

The pilots of OSDG, Dannar, SI, and Nergal have gathered and were comfortably seated as they await the captain. They began a round of introduction while they were at it.

"We're not highly capable in combat but OSDG has affiliated researchers in Mars and our chief wants us to look at it." Aki replied to a question regarding her and Noal's combat experience. "Hopefully, we can take some of our people back."

"Blue Earth ain't made for fighting but if those damn Jovial Lizards ask for it, we'll show 'em hell!" Noal boasted then paused, noticing the girl beside the man who posed the question. "And you, miss? What are you doing here?" Aki, mistaking his intent, lightly kicked him in the heel.

"I'm the Okusaer's pilot. The giant, pink woman in the hangar," She answered. "It combines with my husband's mech, the Godannar."

"Your husband?" Noal's eyes went back and forth from Anna to Goh and so did the others'. "Wait, you mean…"

"What? Got any problem with that?" Goh looked back and forth as well from Noal to Anna then interrupted, eyes seemingly ablaze.

"No, no. Of course not!" Noal defensively retracted. "I absolutely have no business with your preference, man."

"Yeah, nothing wrong with that." Mihai added. "We all had that time in our lives when we got infatuated with someone not our age. I had the hots for my gym instructor in High School. Man, she's such a babe." The weird looks transferred from the couple to him. "Forget I said that."

"Any idea what they're talking about, Tenkawa?" Gai asked his fellow Aestivalis pilot.

"Beats me." Akito shrugged. They then simultaneously took sips from their bottles of milk.

"A-HEM!" None of them have noticed that someone else entered. The drawn-out clearing of throat caught their attention, however, and they all turned their attention to the newcomer. "Ah, Mihai! I see that you're already very much at home here." The gray-haired man waved to the young pilot.

"They're not difficult to get along with, Mr. Ecksturm," Mihai replied. He ran to his side and began to introduce him. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Dr. Rangstal Ecksturm. He's the head developer of the XT series in which my unit belongs to."

Everyone nodded in greeting. It wasn't long since others of Nadesico's staff and Ms. Ecksturm arrived. "Wow! These must be them! The Nadesico would love having you guys~" Yurika gushed dreamily.

"Hmm? Are you supposed to be an assistant or something?" Mihai approached her and asked out of curiosity. "What can we expect of the captain, miss?"

"Mi-mihai! Watch your mouth!" Lindana scolded him, miming hushing gestures.

"What? I'm just asking?"

"I'm your captain! V~!" She flashed a victory sign with her fingers. "Yurika Misumaru, at your service!"

"Captain?!" The five non-Nergal pilots' loud amazement resounded.

"Yeah, that's how we felt, too. Ehehe…" A cheerful girl said. "Hi, I'm Megumi Reinard. I'm one of the bridge operators, communications officer to be exact. Glad to make your company."

"V~, huh?" Anna Aoi sighed. "Somehow, she reminds me of Hajime."

"Ehem, the captain will now brief the crew of our mission." Mr. Prospector dispersed the group. Stacks of folding chairs were brought by utilities to the bridge and each one of them took a seat. The bridge operators took their posts while the captain took the helm.

"I thank you for coming, everyone!" Captain Misumaru began addressing the crew in a manner more befitting an idol than a high-ranking officer. "I know that you've been given the gist of the situation when you were recruited and that is pretty much it. We're going to Mars to try to find survivors. It's been a year since it happened and it might be too late, but that's no reason for us to give up. Our specific destination is the Northern Polar Mine." A hologram of Mars with the specific geographical region highlighted flickered to being overhead the audience. "We will have a stopover in Side 3 to pick up more pilots from the colony. We will be leaving in 1730 Hours. That's 5:30 PM in layman's term. Any question or reaction?"

Akito raised his hand and the rest turned their eyes to him. "Yes, Akito, my dear?" Yurika acknowledged him flirtingly.

He hesitated for a moment, embarrassed, but proceeded with what he wanted to say. "I was from the polar mines. It was already in pretty bad shape when we were hiding in the bunkers there. Last thing I remembered was the bunker I'm on getting ran over by battas."

"If you're here alive, isn't that a good sign? If you survived, they must have, too!" Gai announced his hasty deduction and everyone looked at him as he placed a foot, the injured one, on his chair.

"No, you don't understand." Akito continued. "That was the last thing I remembered. When I came to, I was on Earth. I have no idea how that happened."

"Oh, sure. People just get teleported randomly nowadays, huh?" Mihai sarcastically commented, leaning back on his seat and looking aside.

"That's not nice, Mihai." Lindana gave him a light three-finger slap on the back of his head.

"Toddkhuslen has a point." Rangstal glanced at his daughter. "It is indeed incredulous but if what he says is true, then we must look into it. The enemy has teleportation technology which we haven't fully understood yet." He transferred his glance to Akito. "Could it be that you came across something like that but just can't recall it?"

Akito answered without giving it much thought. "Well… your guess is as good as anyone's, doctor."

" _Or is it?_ " Mihai interrupted again with a theatrically constipated face. "Find out on the next episode of Tales from Planum Boreum!"

"... Idiots." Ruri remarked and not much else.

"Any more?" Yurika asked again but everyone has already quieted down. "All right, then. Dismissed. Take your time getting to know each other. Later, see ya!"

* * *

At about the same time, an online conference among UE Forces' top brass was being held…

"A civilian battleship in times like these?"

"What was Nergal thinking?"

"It's out of the question to leave such a powerful ship in civilian hands!"

Admiral Misumaru listens, but does not contribute, to the contentions of the United Earth Armed Forces in his personal quarters in the ship under his command, the Tobiume.

"Adm. Misumaru, as I understand it, the captain of that ship is your daughter." Another officer, a bald man whose eyebrows call to mind fat, black, wingless flies addressed him directly.

"What do you suggest, Gen. Colbert?" His lowered eyes slowly looked up to the superior officer's floating hologram. "The general assembly has given them a special permission to operate. I don't believe we have the authority to intercept."

"Indeed, we don't." The general replied with annoyed tinge in his voice. "However," he continued, his expression becoming of satisfaction, "We can detain them under the pretext of inspecting the ship and its crew. Intelligence reports regarding their personnel suggest that they are not qualified to operate. Regardless of any special permission, a substandard crew would not be authorized to deploy."

"I would assume that the crew has been chosen based on the Nadesico's specialized requirements." The admiral paced two steps to the general's holographic screen projection. "If it's a civilian battleship then…"

Without letting the admiral finish, the general resumed with grandstanding, "I ask all of you this; what will happen to the Earth if insubordination is tolerated? We are beset on all sides by internal and external threats. Terrorists, aliens, extradimensional monsters, and now would we allow even private corporations to challenge us? How can we protect the world's peace and order if we treat violators with leniency?" The general pointed to Adm. Misumaru, "Are you condoning them just because the captain is your daughter?! That is unbecoming of a military officer!"

"No, of course not." The admiral replied calmly, but a single bead of sweat formed in his forehead betrayed his distress. "I do what is in the best interest of peace and order."

"Very well then." The general beamed with smug satisfaction, "Admiral Misumaru, you are hereby appointed to negotiate their terms of surrender. If Nergal and the captain of the Nadesico requests to be incorporated in the UEAF, then we'll accept. They then will be reassigned to more _purposeful_ tasks." General Colbert moved his hand to a salute, to which the rest replied thusly. "Meeting is adjourned." Everyone but Colbert's hologram went out "I await results, Admiral," With those words, his projection vanished last.

The admiral took one deep breath and moved over to the console. He pressed a button then spoke, "We launch at once. Our objective is the capture of the civilian battleship Nadesico."

* * *

"Captain, the Nadesico has successfully escaped the Earth's gravity," Minato Haruka, the helmswoman, reported. She has glossy, pouting lips and smooth, healthy light brown hair crowned with halo-like glow. She distinctly wears her uniform casually; unbuttoned over her shirt with plunging neckline that accentuates her curvature. "Switching to optimum engine thrust."

"Good work, team!" Yurika praised heartily. "Tell the crew to stand down for now. Ruri, switch the controls to auto-pilot."

"Aye, captain," Ruri's IFS nanomachine markings at the back of her hands began to glow as she pressed on the console. "Omoikane, auto-pilot mode."

* * *

 _ **At Nadesico's holo-shed…**_

"When they said that this ship is to provide every possible form of comfort, I never thought that they meant it this much." Noal looked up the false sky in awe of its seamless imitation. "This is almost like taking a cruise."

"Nergal sure knows how to treat its workers right," Aki added while she sat down on the picnic mat. "If I only knew, I would have brought my outdoor clothes." Aside from the two, among them are the couple, Anna and Goh who are dressed in white-and-peach summer attires, and Mr. Prospector, who is fixated on his calculator.

"Our contract features benefits that are not normally tolerated in the armed services," Mr. Prospector said with one hand raising a pen. "To keep the morale of men and women who are risking their lives, it is imperative to spoil them to… a reasonable extent."

"A-Anna, you're not angry with me still are you?" All the while, Goh was trying to thaw his wife's cold demeanor. "Let's kiss and make up, okay? F-figuratively, I mean." Having none of it, she continued to lean away.

"… As I was saying, these benefits are not a right but a privilege." Mr. Prospector looked away in unease. "Please remember that for all our sake. _Sigh._ "

"Goh! You idiot!" Anna shoved a mochi into his mouth, "Stop it, you're embarrassing yourself!" With the lack of cutesy honorific being added to his name, he quickly understood that she's not in the mood and ceased. "I'm going to our room. Don't follow me unless you're going to sleep!" She stood up and walked out of the alpine-themed recreation center while Goh sulked behind, trying to swallow the sticky food.

The three witnesses fell in stunned silence. "S-sorry, everyone." Goh broke the ice, bowing to the people that he had only known that day. "I didn't mean for you to see us like that."

The other men remained awkward but Aki was quick to assure Goh, "Oh, it's all right. It's not unusual for couples to have misunderstandings. Right, Noal?"

"W-what? A-ah, yes. Don't sweat it, man. Understanding women could take some time." Noal feigned confidence as he pitched in, "I've known Aki for years and I still don't understand her half the time… and we're not even a couple!" With those said, Aki elbowed him in the gut and Noal winced a little.

"You picked the wrong place to have your honeymoon, don't you think?" Mr. Prospector forthrightly told Goh. "While your personal lives are no business of mine, I certainly do hope that this wouldn't affect your performance as Nadesico's crew members. Are we clear on that, Mr. Saruwatari?"

"Yes, Mr. Prospector." Goh replied, still downtrodden.

"I thought so. Sincerely, best wishes to you." Mr. Prospector smiled as he adjusted his glasses and stood. "If you'll excuse me, I have books to balance in private." With a courteous bow, he left the others.

"What a shrewd fellow, but that's not something I can hate." Noal took an apple from their basket and chomped on it.

* * *

 _ **At Nadesico's cafeteria…**_

"I'm so disappointed." Megumi began a conversation among her fellow bridge operators, Ruri and Minato. "I expected to meet some dashing men on a battleship."

"Well, life's like that." Minato agreed. "This ship sure is full of strange characters."

"I'm worried about that Nergal guy with the moustache and glasses. He sure doesn't look very reliable." She said as she stared into empty space while she stirred her spaghetti around her fork.

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Megumi. You never know." Minato glanced towards the table with SI's employees. "That guy with brown hair… He looks kinda familiar…"

Megumi followed her gaze, "Really? He's sorta attractive at the right light… Couldn't you just have fallen in love at first sight?"

"No, that's not it." Minato paused in thought. "Oh! I remember! He was the child actor that played the titular Tom Sawyer in that movie years ago. The cast's acting wasn't exactly stellar but the movie was infamous for deviating from the classic's coming of age adventure story to a tragic revenge fantasy, with Injun Joe turned into a Byronic hero leading a cadre of children against an alcoholic warlord… And there were steamboats that transform into mecha… It was that kind of movie…"

"That one! I dubbed his character when I was younger!" Megumi delightfully reminisced but she shortly frowned, "In retrospect, not one of my best roles. If I understood back then what it was about I would never have agreed."

Their prolonged staring at Mihai caught his attention and as a gentleman, in his own head, he felt obliged to reciprocate their admiration; that is, by winking and flicking his hair, waving his hand in pageantry to the fair maidens. "Wah!.. Gross!" The two simultaneously blurted and turned away.

"What are you doing, being depressed like that?!" Gai yelled for the entire cafeteria to hear, leaping flaringly in spite of his injuries. "All right, I'll show you my special video! It's sure to cheer you up!"

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile in the busy kitchen…**_

"Excuse me, passing through!"

"Two orders of spicy katsudon, four of omurice, three clubhouse sandwiches!"

"Chef, please taste this!"

"Flavor's too weak. Mix the ketchup with mayonnaise and sprinkle it with capsicum. Don't add too many seasonings!"

" _Huhu… huhu… hu…_ " Akito was in tears; not of grief, but as he cleaved through the onions, his eyes were irritated by the reeking fluid.

"Tenkawa, you don't have to cut it so finely, you know?" A lady chef approached him and tapped his shoulders. "Here. Please peel these potatoes instead." She pointed to him a large carton of potatoes that she dragged along.

"Oh… _huhu…_ okay, Ms. Howmei." Akito emptied the last of the slices of onions from the chopping board to a basin. He sat next to the carton and peeled away, separating the peelings and peeled in different baskets.

"Okay, I'm counting on you. Do your best!" Howmei cheered him on. Suddenly, the cooks began to rush outside the kitchen. "Tenkawa, looks like something is starting. Some kind of video, he said. Leave what you're doing for now if you wanna check it out."

"This video format is virtually obsolete. It's going to be tough to get this to work with a modern TV." Uribatake said as he fidgeted with cables, attaching a portable device to a monitor in the cafeteria. "Okay, it's ready."

"Watch, and be amazed!" Gai brought out a diskette and fed it to the device's drive, his hand movements mimicking a transformation pose of a special effects superhero, "Disk, insert! Switch on!"

"Woah…" Jaws dropped as the valiant theme song and opening sequence began to play.

"What is this?" Mr. Hoary impassively wondered aloud.

"The neglected classic, Gekiganger 3!" Gai proudly proclaimed, cheeks flushed and eyes watered. "This thirty-nine episode series is a real heart grabber!"

"Ah! This one…" Rangstal said as he was watching the anime intently. "If my memory serves me correctly, this was banned by the old Earth Federation during the One Year War as it was believed, baselessly, to inspire rebellious fervor." He lifted his chair nearer and Lindana followed. "The ban remained until its collapse… at which point it was already mostly forgotten. Been looking for a copy of this for a long time and I never expected to find this here."

"How come I've never of heard of this from you, Dad?" Lindana looked at her father with amusement. "I mean, you watch anime?"

"A few ones, yes…" He replied without looking away from the monitor. "What? I also do things that are not inherently purposeful. Also, Ms. Ecksturm, we're still on duty so please refer to me as _professor_."

"Of course. Yes, prof!" Lindana smiled spiritedly then went back to watching.

"The opening looks different," Akito commented as he made his way to the front row.

"You can tell?! After episode 3, this opening gave way to a really righteous one!" Gai rushed to him and spoke in the face of whom he thought was a kindred spirit… but disappointment caught up to him when he realized whose face he was screaming in. "Oh, it's you." He stood up, knocked his crutch away, and pointed to him accusingly. "You have no right to talk about Gekiganger! Ow… tch… tch…" He let out a pained groan as he tried to support his weight with both legs until Uribatake handed his crutch to him.

"I do, too! I saw the series as a boy growing up on Mars."

"Then why aren't you into being a robot pilot? Who cares about being a cook?!"

"What's wrong with that?!" They tried to stare each other down but they quickly went back to their seats as the title card appeared.

The episode has barely begun when the program was interrupted by a panel that popped up in the middle of the screen. "Captain Misumaru," Admiral Fukube's likeness appeared in the monitor and spoke. "We need you on the bridge. We have incoming transmission from a UEAF ship."

"UEAF ship?" Yurika was about to eat the last spoonful of her meal when she replied. "Be right there, Admiral!" She sprinted out of the cafeteria and others followed.

"Ruri, put them on." The captain instructed as she took the helm and a hologram of a mustached officer appeared overhead.

"This is Admiral Misumaru, Commander, Third Fleet, UEAF."

"Father!" Eyes turned towards her when she uttered the word. "Father, what's this all about?"

"Oh, Yurika, are you doing well?" His militaristic tone changed to that of doting.

"Yes!" She answered civilly.

"This is my duty. Please forgive me. Papa is not happy about this either."

"There must be a big misunderstanding. We thought we had an agreement with the UE." Prospector interrupted. "The Conglomerate was to use the Nadesico for private projects."

"That might be so but the ship itself and its personnel has not been assessed. It must be subjected to quality control before it can be allowed to sail, validity of certificates and whatnot." Admiral Misumaru switched back to an unaffected tone. "So, for now, I would have to ask you to _pull over_ so that we can inspect your ship."

"Pull over?" Noal reacted. "What is this? A highway?"

"Is this because of our racial composition?" Mihai asked next, sounding more upset than the others. Quickly, Lindana gave a disapproving slap to the back of his head.

"We do not belong to the military. We have no reason to follow your orders." Admiral Fukube objected as well as he turned away from Admiral Misumaru.

Admiral Misumaru leaned back in his chair, held his face in his hand and slid it down. "Mr. Fukube, why must you continue to bring shame to your name?" He pleadingly asked. He looked back at his daughter and tried to reason with her once more, "Yurika, please listen to your father. By the way, your friend Jun is also with us in this ship. We're worried about you. You know what, forget about being the captain of that ship and let's both go home forgetting this ever happened. You can command some other ship within the UEAF chain of command, okay?"

"Thanks but no thanks, _Admiral_." Yurika answered with firm resolve, her eyes meeting his. "This is my ship and my crew; they're not going anywhere without me."

His eyes drooped, his face lost its color but he regained himself in a snap, fists clenched and teeth gritted. "As it seems that you would not comply, a display of force might be necessary to convince you. I do not wish to do harm but if incapacitating you is the only method of restraint available, then so be it. Third Fleet out!" The transmission ended and the rest of the crew looked at either the Captain or Admiral for assurance.

"Incapacitate? What does he mean by that?" As soon as Akito asked, alarms blared and little Ruri interrupted with an announcement.

"Captain, mobile weapons approaching from seven o'clock." Though Ruri said it aloud, the captain was seemingly stunned and remained staring blankly where the hologram was a while ago. "Captain! Your orders!"

"R-right! All able pilots, prepare to sortie!" Yurika snapped out with clear and loud commands. "Don't engage with lethal force. Don't shoot to kill! I repeat, do not shoot to kill! Aim for their flight modules and let the pilots escape. All hands, assume level 1 battle stations! Deploy distortion field!"

"Roger!"

"Launch preparations complete." Aki notified as the Blue Earth's engines revved up.

"Let's go!" With a pull of a lever, Noal launched the ship out of the hangar.

"Jet Boy, go!" The Dannar base's mechs took off next.

"XT-Acea, Mihai Toddkhuslen, moving out!"

"Have you identified the enemy mobile weapons, Ruri?" Yurika asked she slouched in her panel.

"There are at least nine Delphinium-types and eight Hellions," Ruri performed a sweep with the radar and summarily scanned the hostiles. "And a lone Tracer… We're being hailed, Captain."

"Is it Dad?"

"Negative, Captain. It's from among the deployed units."

"Oh… put it on anyways."

Ruri received the call and a pilot's image appeared, the upper half of his face hidden by a visor. "Yurika," The remaining visible area of his face moved. "This is your last chance. Turn the Nadesico around!"

"I-I can't… I just can't…" Akito was looking up to his Aestivalis, which in turn seemed like it was looking down on him somewhat. "I'm just a cook…"

"Hey, Tenkawa! What are you doing?!" Uribatake yelled at him. "Hurry up and get to the cockpit!"

"Just… just a sec!" Akito proceeded to take off his apron hesitantly.

"If he isn't going, I'll go!" Uribatake hasn't noticed before but as he did, Gai, in his usually elated self, has already climbed to the blue Aestivalis beside Akito's pink one. "THIS is my moment of thunder!"

"What?! The Captain said _able_ , you dumbass!" The chief mechanic was straining his voice but Gai barely heard the scolding as he closed the hatch beforehand.

"All right! Get out of my way! Move it, move it!" The blue Aestivalis has begun walking… into a wall.

"Oh, for f-," Uribatake nearly torn his hair. "Open the interior airlock passage!" Fearing damage to the machine, he gave in and consented to its reckless roll out. "Connect me to the bridge!"

"Jun!" Yurika called out the pilot from her panel.

"Yurika… I will take you back, by force if necessary. If you resist, the Nadesico will be up against the Tobiume."

"I'm sorry, Jun. I can't leave my post." Yurika replied with a smile.

"You'll keep on fighting?" With what can be seen of his face, Jun's shock was clear with his lips agape.

"This is where I belong. Here, I am not my father's, the admiral's, daughter; this is where I can be my true self." Yurika replied with a palm rested against her chest.

Jun shook his head slowly, his agape lips shut and twisted into a frown. "If that's the case, it can't be helped."

With that, his transmission ended but Megumi yelled a notification soon after, "It's from the hangar, Captain! Jiro Yamada has deployed in spite of his injuries!"

"Heave-ho!" As soon as it detached from its Jet Boy pack, Godannar soared to a Hellion mobile suit and kicked off a portion of its head. Barely, as the faster mech nearly evaded completely. _I knew it. Godannar's mobility in space isn't as great as that of Cosmo Base's mechs._ Goh thought as he struggled to his keep his mech from flailing about in the vacuum. _The rushed-in modifications are insufficient for Godannar to adapt._

"Noal, are you sure about this?" Aki asked as the Blue Earth sneaked behind a Hellion engaged in a melee bout with the Neo-Okusaer, which was pirouetting like nobody's business… in the vacuum of space.

"Of course!" Noal replied as the jet fired its laser cannon at point-blank while the Okusaer leaped away as it created an opening for them.

"Why you little…" The Hellion's pilot angrily gave chase as his mech transformed into its fighter mode after the Blue Earth, discarding its broken sonic blade in the process. Missiles poured out from the Hellion's wing pylons but the Blue Earth dodged to the side.

"Come on, come on… let me hit you…" Mihai whispered under his breath as he tried to align the crosshair on the Delphinium he's chasing in a field of space debris. The XT-Acea's chicken-legs were tucked underneath, with exhausts on the bottoms of its feet as maneuvering thrusters to propel its flight. "They pay me bonus per landed hit so…" The enemy unit steadied, cornered as it failed to serpentine among the debris as the field narrowed, and the crosshair stabilized; XT-Acea's left pincer opened, and a coiled antenna-like rod poked out. "… Let me hit you!" Electric arc was discharged from the rod and found the Delphinium.

"A-augh!" The pearly white robot shook only mildly yet the pilot itself fell catatonic.

"Mihai!" Lindana's face appeared on a corner of the XT-Acea's HUD, "You've been ordered to not use lethal force!"

"Relax, it's alright…" Mihai replied, motioning to her with a looped thumb and forefinger, the rest outstretched, "That was only a merciful, stunning dose of the Shock-ray. You can check my guncam later if you have doubts… but for now, let me do my job, Miss Manager."

"Hmph!" Lindana signed out mighty pissed and Mihai impenitently grinned, blowing a mock flying kiss to where her image was.

Somewhere else in the skirmish, the blue, one-eyed Aestivalis equipped with its aerial frame had engaged a cluster of mobile weapons. "I'll show you how real heroes fight their battles!" Such was Gai's battle cry as he let himself be surrounded by UEAF soldiers. Pedal to the metal, the Aestivalis thrust forward so abruptly and forcefully that the distortion field around it trailed, "Gai Super Upper!" The Aestivalis drawn its fist back… and released.

It happened too fast. A Delphinium's pilot had the Aestivalis in his sights a few seconds ago but all of a sudden, it had already decked his mech, the cockpit's crumbling stopped mere inches from crushing him. He's alive, he caught up to that fact as an afterthought. If it was luck or the enemy held back, he cannot discern; his motor functions have come to a halt, facial nerves and muscles froze, and bladder control… failed.

"Y-you bastard!" Angered, the rest of the soldiers attacked the Aestivalis one after another. Block. Miss. Miss. Shoot down. Miss again. Block again. The Aestivalis fended off the attacks and successfully countered every time. "Impossible! Is this guy for real?!"

"How do you like that, punks?" Gai yelled to his foes as if they could hear him but he actually had no open channel to them. While he essentially is a boisterous, even amateurish, fool of a pilot who thinks himself cool, to them he seemed like a silent, but beyond the pale, expert. Gai kept the streak until the lone Tracer clashed with him head on with its wrist-mounted laser blade.

The distortion field was pierced. The elbow joint of the blue mech's left arm was damaged. It fell out of balance and flopped like a fish out of water.

"This is our chance, everyone." The Tracer's pilot told the mobile weapons' pilots that had the Aestivalis surrounded.

"He's a sitting duck. The idiot exhausted his mech's energy with those attacks." Junior officer Jun Aoi concurred from his Delphinium. "We've successfully lured him out of Nadesico's distortion field. Grab ahold of him! Now!"

Two Delphiniums flew beside Gai's mech and held him hostage. "Hey! What are you doing?!" He objected but it won't move. His abductors were whisking him farther away from his mothership and allies.

"Mr. Yamada has been taken by UEAF." Ruri reported. "What to do, Captain?"

Before Yurika had the chance to reply, they were being hailed again by the Tobiume. She waved to receive it. It was her father again and he had the same stern look as when he last appeared.

"We have already captured one of your men and this is only the first of many. If you surrender the Nadesico now and come with us, the UEAF will let this offense slide and we'll all go back to Earth happily. If not, all captured personnel of this civilian vessel will be tried in a court of law and be charged accordingly."

"Father, why are you doing this?" Yurika was beginning to tear up.

"You've hit a snag, Captain. What will it be? Surrender with everyone guaranteed safe or attempt completion of the mission while risking your crew?" Yurika's face grew paler and paler as the admiral pressed further. But she wasn't averting her eyes either. Though wobbly, the young Captain was gathering courage and every second that passed, she shook less. She was about to speak when…

"It's pointless to answer, Yurika!" Before her words could come out, Akito's voice emanated from the speakers. "We're getting Gai on our own terms!"

Okusaer and XT-Acea tackled the two Delphiniums holding up Gai's Aestivalis from below, having successfully hidden among an obfuscating mass of space debris. The Delphiniums were tossed away and following up, Godannar caught the released mech. "Akito, catch!"

"W-w-wait, w-w-whoa!" Gai tumbled all around his cockpit with the sudden application of force and trajectory. Akito, on the receiving end, was similarly freaked out but he steeled himself to catch him… He did. With his Aesti's face. The monoeye's legs uncomfortably straddling it.

"Tenkawa, bring him back here quickly!" Uribatake called to him from the hangar.

"Y-yes, I will…"

"Woohoo, Akito! Good job!" Megumi cheered from her console.

The color returned to Yurika's face and though still on the verge of tears, she began to smile again. On the other hand, Admiral Misumaru's face turned serene as if his strictness washed off. Father and daughter looked at each other one last time and the conversation ended, his projection gone in a blink.

They might have freed Gai but Mihai, Goh, and Anna have gathered the UEAF's mobile weapons around them.

"Anna, can you hear me?" Goh began, their mechs back-to-back. "I told you…"

"Dammit, Goh! This is hardly the time!" Anna snapped back. "If you want to berate me for this, wait until we get back to the ship!"

" _If_ we even get back to the ship. These guys are looking forward to keep us." Mihai butted in.

"Shut up!" The couple yelled in sync. Goh continued, "That's not what I'm trying to say; I told you… some really demeaning things since we got married. I'm sorry that I'm diverting all my anxieties towards you. I still see the same helpless girl I rescued five years ago even when you've already grown since as a person. You're not the weak one, I am. I'm weak because I'm stuck in the past. I'm weak because I can't let go. I'm too weak to even admit that you've caught up to me…"

"Stop." Anna said plainly but her next words were more domestic than the last. "No need to trip yourself over, Goh-chin. As long as you understand." She chuckled. "Looks like we're not out of this yet. Say, why don't we give them a Husband-and-Wife-Mega-Beatdown?"

He tried to laugh as well but he pronounced them with nervous, yet relieved, half-sighs. "Your mother's right. You're really good at this piloting stuff."

"It's time to drive change, Goh!" She called out to him, shouting again but with the earlier resentment gone. "Prepare to receive me!"

"Uh… That came out really wrong but I guess I'll let you lead this time. Drive change, go!" Neo-Okusaer tucked its limbs and head and Godannar opened his chest to her. Following the regular sequence, the two mechs combined to form Godannar Twin Drive mode, "Hi-yaaaaaaaa!" Screaming at the top of their lungs upon completion.

The three were prepared to resist but suddenly, the mobile weapons flew away from them and began gathering back to their ship, except for a Delphinium and the Tracer which didn't seem eager to resume assault.

"Captain, it appears that the Third Fleet is retreating." Ruri confirmed.

"Oh, thank goodness." Yurika sat back on her chair and slouched. "Recall our pilots, we've wasted enough time."

"Not yet, Captain. Incoming potential hostiles." Ruri bluntly declared as the radar's sweep revealed another wave of dots.

The ship was hit. A beam of light collided with the ship's starboard, partially permeating through the distortion field, earning Ruri's updated inference, "Hostility confirmed."

It was a blast from a Katonbo, a Jovian unmanned battleship, and it's swarmed by the lesser Battas. "Everyone, we're under attack by Lizards. No need to hold back against the aliens. Fire away!" Yurika ordered without hesitation. "Deployed units, give us a minute until we prepare a Gravity Blast. We're counting on you."

"Phew! This is a long day!" Noal complained as he wiped the trickling sweat from his forehead. "You still okay, Aki?"

"Absolutely!"

Goh encouraged the team, "This should be our final push! Let's give it all we've got!"

"Alright! Guilt-free bonus targets!" Mihai cheerfully fired missiles from the launcher of XT-Acea's back. "Have a free sample of my cutter-ray!" He cried out as he sliced a Batta that leaped in front of XT-Acea with an energy blade from its right pincer.

"Noal, Look out!" Aki warned but it was too late. The Blue Earth winded sideways but the ramming Batta grazed its right wing. It wasn't over; the Batta rebounded and was about to knock the rest of the jet when the remaining Delphinium stood in its way.

The Tracer, too, was fighting together with the XT-Acea and Godannar, firing its rifle against the Battas.

"Everyone, get back to the Nadesico." Yurika commanded.

"Oh, crap! I can't move!" Jun struggled in his Delphinium. "Noboru, can you give me a hand here? I've been hit badly!"

In response, the Tracer flew back to him and grabbed an arm. The Godannar grabbed another. Though they aren't communicating with each other, Goh took initiative as he gaged the situation. XT-Acea also flew to the Blue Earth and seized it with its bird-like talons, turning off the thrusters under its feet and activating the ones on the back of its knees.

Ruri multitasked maintaining the field, operating the ship's weapons, and managing overall logistics, Haruka steering the ship as to lessen the impact of attacks, and Megumi stayed in contact with the other officers of the ship.

"Units have safely returned to hangar." Megumi finally reported as Uribatake relayed the successful retrieval. "With some extra ones. Some mobile weapons that have been left out by the Tobiume are among them."

"Gravity Blast fully charged and ready." Ruri dully announced. "Sensors indicate graviton wave concentration. They're also preparing another Gravity Blast, Captain."

"Then let's get them before they get us. Ready, aim," Yurika raised an arm. "Fire!" She slashed with it across.

A bright light, a strong blow. A line that consumed the Jovian fleet.

"How are we, Ruri?" Yurika asked as the blast cleared, leaving nothing of the Battas and barely a husk of the Katonbo.

"Distortion Field Strength, down thirteen percent. Phase Transition Engine, all systems condition green."

"Good," Yurika fell back to her chair, wishful for some smooth sailing from there on to Side 3. "Let's resume course. Full speed ahead."

At the hangar, the pilots have alighted from their machines. While the Conglomerate's employed pilots were met with clamors of commendation, a mob of mechanics with all sorts of tools, one actually having brought a pitchfork, awaited the UEAF soldiers.

"Explain yourselves or we'll customize your asses but leave your brains to enjoy it." Uribatake threatened them with a wrench. Jun hid behind the Tracer's pilot, alarmed.

"Wait, stop!" Yurika zigged through the crowd, panting in front of them. "Jun… what… are you… doing here?"

"Well, Yurika," Jun moved away from his companion's back. "Your father sent us… to watch over you."

The mob were talking among themselves. Yurika signed to them to pipe down. "What do you mean?"

The other guy prevented Jun from replying. "True, we're ordered to capture you but that is not the original intent. A covert operation to slip in an observer, which most of UEAF's top military officers are unaware, was initially planned. This is in fulfillment of the agreement you had with the UE. Those oblivious officers ordered your capture; something, your father and the other architects of this operation counted on."

"You mean, they needed someone to order our capture to slip in the observer?"

"Indeed, Captain." The pilot replied with a warmer tone. "At this rate, we can pretend to be your prisoner and undermine the operation to capture the Nadesico as a failure."

"Why couldn't they just slip you in with a fake identity?" The prospector had also made his way in front, "That could have saved some precious ammo and repair costs. We could have killed you back there, too."

"We're not that weak, you know." Jun rejoined. "And Admiral Misumaru knew her daughter's kindness well enough and he told us, that even if you don't know it for sure, you intuitively wouldn't believe that your father would violently attack you."

"But that wasn't the point. The Admiral was testing her how she would react in an unwinnable scenario. The ability to decide being more important than the decision itself." The other pilot contested Jun's statement. "Their personal relationship is irrelevant."

"Yes. That's so much like him." She wiped a single tear from her eye. "Is everyone on the Tobiume okay?"

"Pretty much. Except for that one guy paralyzed by electric shock. He'd need some therapy." The Tracer's pilot said with understated reproach. "But he'll be alright."

"He's four days from retirement." Jun added. "If he's any younger, that would have been a serious career-ender."

Within earshot, Mihai quietly slithered out of the crowd. But Lindana had heard enough and she dragged him out of the hangar.

"Excuse me for not introducing myself earlier. Second Lieutenant Noboru Terao, at your service. Looking forward to working with you."

He bowed politely and the confused crowd returned it. They disbanded right after and Yurika asked Jun and Noboru to follow her.

* * *

 _"Joe!"_

"My dear Joe has… Ocean Gekiganger has… died!"

"You get it! You get it! You understand what's in this, too! You understand this, too!"

Professor Rangstal can only pat Akito's and Gai's backs as they cried on each other's shoulders because of a colorful cartoon. _What vigorous and sincere youths! And they say this generation's been raised wrong._

 _Joe Umitsubame's sacrifice drove General Masaka's attack back. But now, Gekiganger 3 is hurt and is missing a pilot._

 _"Joe!"_

 _Will they be able to recover from this loss? You have to get back up, Gekiganger! The future is at stake!_

"That is the way a man should go, man. Dying in battle, sacrificing one's self for the sake of friends!" Gai said in between sobs.

"Thank you! Thank you… for showing something this good to me!" Akito replied even as his nose was running.

The three fell asleep slept together cozily in the room, with enough magnificent scenes to fuel their sweet dreams…

Gai suddenly stood up.

"AAAAARGH! I'VE BEEN SHOT! I'VE BEEN SHOT!" Gai was ear-shatteringly screaming, frantically trying to open the door but his hands could not find the right button.

"Gai! Gai! What's wrong?!" Akito rushed out of his bedsheets to aid Gai and hastily opened the room's lights. As he did so, his eyes caught to the horror. His fingernails were scratching the metal door and were coming off, bleeding, blood slowly staining the cold handle and all about. His lips, too, were flowing red and gnashed teeth with the same. The plaster cast on his leg was breaking with his rampant stomping.

"Get ahold of yourself, Gai." Rangstal grabbed him by the abdomen even as he violently flailed, the scientist's frail, middle-aged body holding on surprisingly."

"HELP ME! HELP ME! I'VE BEEN SHOT!" Gai's shrieks continued, fleeing in terror from an unseen mortal danger. "I'VE BEEN SHOT! I'M GONNA DIE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"


End file.
